


Taking Responsibility

by Somewei



Series: Taking Responsibility Universe [1]
Category: Powerpuff Girls
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Coming of Age, F/M, Mojo Jojo takes over the world, Powerpuff Girls movie AU, Powerpuff Girls officially don't exist, Rowdyruff Boys question their own existence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-18
Updated: 2016-03-18
Packaged: 2018-05-27 10:43:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 27
Words: 143,319
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6281467
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Somewei/pseuds/Somewei
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For eleven years, Earth has been under the oppressing thumb of Mojo and the Rowdyruff Boys, but when three super-powered girls enter the picture, it becomes a game of espionage and deception.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Long Silence

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own The Powerpuff Girls - everything rightfully belongs to Craig McCracken and Cartoon Network. I'm just borrowing.

 

She hated this place.

It was gloomy and cold and it did not fit her cheerful, vibrant personality. Yet, she kept going. She had to - for her sisters. They were all she had left. The people she had once trusted betrayed her when they believed that she and her sisters _did_ mean to do away with Townsville. When she heard her father mutter those forsaken words, she didn't know what to do with herself. He _doubted_ her.

_"I don't know_ who _to believe…"_

She curled her legs up towards her chest as she kept her eyes on the sapphire planet before her. Everyday, for the past eleven years, those words had rung through her ears, haunting her every thought. Her sisters, Blossom and Buttercup, had grown somewhat adjusted to their so-called home. It was nothing like their home on Earth, but it was a place they could stay; a place far away from the menacing eyes of those who hated them. Standing up, she turned back to go inside their stone home, and she found Buttercup sitting at the window, staring out at the various rocks floating by.

Buttercup hadn't exactly become the most silent person, but every now and then she would become quiet and shrink into herself. Not that she could blame her once vibrant sister. They all had become like that over time. Shrinking into themselves, zoning out, and not actively interacting with each other. They were existing, really. Not living. Bubbles sighed and fingered the food on the makeshift table. After living there for two months, the girls decided to explore the area around them. It was difficult at first to fly far distances without the fear of loosing their rock, but eventually they became used to it.

The three girls managed to find an uninhabited planet, just outside the system, that was full of earthly supplies - vegetables, cotton and whatnot that could supply with them with all their necessities. The girls, as well, learned to do different chores to make life on "Rocky" better. (That's what they named their meteor – " _Rocky_ " – courtesy of Bubbles.) Buttercup learned to hunt for food, Blossom learned to pick cotton and Bubbles learned to sew and weave the cotton to make it into blankets and clothes. It was hard, at first, to learn, but somehow each of the girls managed to complete their chores within a decent hour.

Night and day was also a matter of question. They never knew when day or night occurred. They figured it was night on Earth when the girls became tired and when they woke up, it was day. It was the only thing that could help them with time. They also lost track of the date. With no calendars and no reason to need to know the date, what was the point of learning or keeping track?

"Bubbles."

Bubbles jumped at the soft voice that broke the silence, and glanced over to her redheaded sister, whom was sitting in the corner of their house. Blossom had grown considerably pretty. With nothing to keep her hair tamed at its long length, she cut her hair to her shoulders and tied it back with the pink cloth of her old dress. Underneath the empty look in her eyes, Bubbles knew that her sister's assertiveness and strength was still there. Quite honestly, her two sisters were just shells of what they used to be. Perhaps she was the same. Perhaps she was a shell of what she once was. She didn't know.

"Yes, Blossom?" replied Bubbles.

"Were you sitting outside again?"

Bubbles nodded, and Blossom just turned back to examining her fingers. Realizing that the conversation was over and she was being dismissed, she sank down to the floor and examined both of her sisters. It would almost be painful, this silence, if she wasn't numb to it. Bubbles often wondered what the three of them would've been like had they stayed on Earth. Would they be louder? More vibrant? More everything? Or would they be as silent, sullen, discolored as they were now. It was too much to think about and too depressing to dwell on. These thoughts led to dangerous waters and staring at her forlorn sisters reminded her of those thoughts. Standing up, she retreated outside again. Taking in a sharp breath, she wondered what Earth was like.

After their primate adversaries took over the Earth, it had become quiet. She could no longer hear the screams and shouts of the human inhabitants, and figured they had all gone on with their regular lives. Blossom often objected and said that something happened to the humans, that Mojo was in control. Buttercup, morbidly, thought that they all died. Bubbles hated the thought and optimistically hoped that it wasn't true.

As she stared out at the planet, she didn't notice that Buttercup and Blossom joined her outside. Both of them settled down next to her. After a moment of silence, Buttercup said, "What's wrong?"

"Do you…" She paused briefly, her face scrunching up in thought. "…do you think we could return to Earth and see what happened?"

Blossom pursed her lips as soon as the question flew out of the blonde's mouth. "No."

"But-" started Bubbles.

"No, Bubbles," Blossom continued firmly. "We've talked about this. And _again_ , I'm saying no."

The blonde opened her mouth to begin her defense, but the redhead abruptly stood up. Glaring down at Bubbles, she sharply said, "Do you not understand how dangerous it is for us? If not the humans, then Mojo and his army will tear us to shreds! It's safer to remain here!"

"Yes," Bubbles murmured, looking down. "But nobody remembers us!"

It was not strange that they were having this conversation. Honestly, ever since they had started living on Rocky, Bubbles had repeatedly asked to return to Earth, but the final answer was always the same - no. For the same reason too: it was too dangerous for the three of them to venture there. The worst part was, Bubbles couldn't exactly argue against her sister. She had a valid point, but it didn't mean she agreed with her. This long, dark silence was not fit for Bubbles. She needed life, color, and people. This life that she was leading now was just suffocating.

"Does it matter?" suddenly snapped Buttercup, her face darkening with her anger. "We have no reason to go see those people! The ones who didn't believe us! We're fine here!"

"Well," the blonde murmured. "We _did_ help Mojo Jojo create his lab. Why _should_ they believe us?"

Blossom clenched her jaw. "That's all the reason more why we shouldn't go back. No one would trust us because we helped give Mojo his kingdom." Bubbles opened her mouth to protest, but the redheaded girl cut her off. "My word is final. We are _not_ going back."

With that said, Blossom whirled around to go back into their house. Buttercup scoffed at her before following in her wake. Left alone to her thoughts, Bubbles glumly buried her face in her arms and held back tears. She was so tired of this life. Raising her head slightly, just enough for her eyes to catch sight of her favorite sapphire pearl, she honestly hoped the people of Earth were leading good, happy lives.

 

* * *

 

 

Despite Bubbles' hopes, the people of Earth were not leading good lives and they most certainly were not happy. They all were being tormented and led unfortunate lives. Ever since Mojo came into power he turned it into some sort of "planet of the apes". The humans all at some point saw _Planet of the Apes_ and wondered if they would receive their own savior from the primates that now imprisoned them.

But, for now, they were slaves to the Monkey king and their Regional lords. No matter what race they were, they were slaves to the primate that reigned over their country, which were now kingdoms. Ojo Tango ruled the Oceania; Rocko Socko was now the ruler over Southeast Asia; Baboon Kaboom was the king of the upper half of Africa; the Gogo Po-Trol was the leaders of the southern half of Africa; Hota Wata ruled over North and South Korea and Taiwan; And Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching was king over China and Japan and was also the sometimes partner to Hota Wata.

The Doot Da Doot Da Doo Doos, the look-alike primates from the _Wizard of Oz_ , all took over Europe and terrorized their European slaves with their wads of spit. Unfortunately Mojo and the other primates didn't like Hacha Chaca and managed to let him entertain the people down in South America under the watchful eye of Ojo Tango. Blah-Blah-Blah-Blah was put under the eye of Killa Drilla and Bonzo Bango in Iceland and Greenland. Rolo Ovo, Cruncha Muncha, Wacko Smacko and Pappy Wappy all ruled over the Middle East.

But the supreme ruler over the primates was Mojo, who resided in North America. North America became home and Townsville his capital for his empire. After eventually outsmarting the destructive primates, Mojo had been declared ultimate, supreme ruler and claimed North America for himself. It was hard at first to get his empire into order, but he managed to do so.

Then, once he created and put order to his empire, he had to manage the human revolts that occurred every now and then. However, despite the revolts that took place, Mojo set up a hierarchy for the humans. Whilst most of them were slaves that worked out in plantations or factories, there were other humans that worked inside the palaces around the world. Very few humans (usually the rich or doctors) had the privilege of staying out of imprisonment, but it was simply because of their money and skills.

However, despite the order, the villains of America gave him slight problems. While Mojo managed to defeat most or allowed them to keep their freedom and money (such as the annoying family known as the Morbucks'), Him gave him the most trouble. None of the lords or Mojo could defeat the flamboyant villain and eventually Mojo had decided to create his own version of the girls - or at least _boy_ versions of the girls.

Thus, Mojo Jojo created the Rowdyruff Boys.

The Rowdyruff Boys had become his most trustworthy warriors in his kingdom. They would run his errands and sometimes menace the other regional lords when they started entertaining ideas of revolting and overthrowing Mojo. But each boy had his own personality, which became a strength for the team.

Brick was the more solemn one in the group. Intelligent and quick on his feet, he was the ideal leader of the boys. Like most boys, he loved to crack a joke and pull a prank on whomever he could – or at least he had when he was little. However, when it came to a fight, he was the most serious one. He was also the master of a computer as if it was _he_ who invented the machine. He could load viruses, break codes and whatnot. He was pure genius, as some people liked to believe, and the humans feared him the most. Clever he was and because of this, he could outdo everyone and foil everyone's plans. Fierce, though, was his temper and many had to watch their step to ensure that they wouldn't ignite it.

Boomer was the more "sensitive" of the boys, but not the most "wussy", as Butch liked to call it. He could be devious when he was joking around with his brothers and sometimes he was so good at joking and pranking, people didn't believe it was _he_ who set the prank up. Get him mad, though, and he could rival Brick's hotheaded temper. He became so fierce that many had learned never to mess with his bad side. Alongside his deviousness, he was the fastest one and the most observant. And while Brick was in charge of the computers and strategy, Boomer was in charge of security.

Butch was the ultimate joker and flirt within the three boys. He was also one who loved a good fight. Whenever Brick needed someone to pull off a crazy stunt, it was Butch who accomplished the task. Specializing in guns and other artillery, Mojo's weapons were always up-to-date and the best. The human slaves always treaded on eggshells around the young green 'ruff because of his strength and the fact he didn't hesitate to use it. He loved girls and was often found with at least three girls on his arm when he was hanging around.

Mojo would sometimes be infuriated because of the way the boys would joke around and prank him, but he calmly took their joking because they were his "sons". Also because they could beat him to an inch of his life if he enraged them in any way (though the thought, it appeared, never crossed their minds, regardless). Besides the fact that he feared his boys at times, there was still one figure out there that he feared the most. The one figure that could take apart the boys and help the humans, and that one figure was named Professor John Utonium.

John Utonium, after slipping into a stage of depression, was hauled off to a Japanese imprisonment (a country that was a personal favorite of Mojo's) before he disappeared off the face of the Earth. It seemed as if he didn't exist. He left all his co-workers, neighbors and friends behind, including Sara Bellum, Sandra Keane and Mayor J. Mayor. However, Mojo was not fooled easily and knew that the Professor was devising a plan to rid Earth of its foes.

He also feared the fact that this one man, alone, could call the three girls that could be his undoing – Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup. Although the girls had disappeared for eleven years and had not been seen since Mojo unleashed his plot to take over the world, he knew that if the girls realized their true potential, he could be in serious trouble. These girls always had the strength to defeat him, but never truly realized how to harness that power that dwelled in them and he was thankful that he hadn't attacked the Professor those many years ago.

Mojo knew that if he had attacked the Professor that fateful day, the girls would come running if they had sensed their father was being threatened in any way, which was why he let the Professor be - because he had the threat of the girls always looming over him as a shadow. But Mojo let that issue slide and for eleven years he ruled his empire without a care in the world.

In fact, his 'palace' was Townsville Hall, transformed. The white marble and title had been changed to fit what his lab would look like and what he wanted as a home and morphed many of the conference rooms into bedrooms or lounges. He kicked out all of the current employees of Townsville Hall and replaced them with chimpanzee guards he later created. He still kept his lab on top of the volcano, which was where he created the boys, because he sometimes needed a place to devise more plans. Townsville also had been reconstructed. It looked like what would be a city from the future because of the new gadgets and means of traveling, with sleek silver buildings and highways that stretched on for miles.

However, despite the new structure of Townsville, it still was strewn about with ruins from what used to be the grand city. And alongside those ruins were poorly made graves. A shadow was cast over the town and the sun hardly brought itself out of hiding anymore.

"Mojo," interrupted a cool voice.

The Monkey King, who had been staring out the window from what was previously the Mayor's office and was now his personal office, turned and found Brick leaning on the door frame with a frown on his face. Mojo duplicated Brick's frown. "What do you want? Can't you see I'm busy?"

Brick rolled his eyes. _Oh yes, busy staring out the window_. He didn't voice that though. "Mojo, Boomer just told me that he may have possibly found a meteor with life on it. It's only three specs, which may be your female nemeses that you've been dreading for the past eleven years."

Mojo, startled at first, then smiled. "Good… _good_."

"They're not going to come here," Brick continued on smoothly, evidently bored with the topic. The ape glanced at the red 'ruff, obviously not happy with his statement. "We sent up a probe and checked out how they go on with life. Apparently, there's some small planet or moon that allows them to collect all their necessities and bring it back to their makeshift home. Plus, the leader told her blonde sister that they weren't going to come back."

"What do you mean?" snapped the Monkey King.

The red 'ruff sighed heavily. "Meaning, they're staying _there_. Why do you want them to come if you've been dreading their return?"

"To eliminate them, my son, because if I, Mojo Jojo, have enemies that could destroy me, then that puts me in a tight spot, doesn't it?" explained the ape. Again, Brick rolled his eyes. This monkey could be really be paranoid sometimes. He had no idea _why_ he was paranoid about these girls. They looked like they couldn't even defeat a fly if they had to. One was over-emotional, the other looked like she wouldn't follow the orders of _anyone_ and the last one was too concerned about surviving to even glance at anything remotely related to fighting.

"Whatever, Mojo, whatever," mumbled Brick as he began walking out of the room. For a brief moment, Brick stopped and called out before moving on, "Oh, Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching is having troubles with more revolts."

Mojo shrugged and strolled to his desk. He would eliminate those girls when the time came. Yes, he feared them and yes, he hoped they wouldn't realize their potential, but sometimes you have to do things you didn't want to in order to accomplish something else. That was for another time. First he had to deal with the revolts in China and Japan.

 

* * *

 

 

Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching glared down at his human opponents, his cymbals ready in his hands. His guards were ready for anything. Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching muttered some curses underneath his breath as the humans broke through the first barrier that the chimpanzees had set up. Frowning, he began walking down towards the front. His guards were not doing the job they were supposed to do.

_Idiots…they can't do anything right_ , Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching thought bitterly as he pushed his way through. _Mojo better send the Rowdyruff Boys soon._

The humans let out a great battle cry as they continued to push through. Growling, Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching collided his cymbals together and unleashed a big sonic boom. The human rebels covered their ears and were pushed back. Several of the stronger ones managed to get up and started attacking again.

The ' _Chaotic Calamity'_ rolled his eyes. Didn't these humans know when to give up? He had been having so many revolts lately that he had lost count. When Mojo first took over, none of the humans even considered having revolts. Their spirits had been broken. But then they regained what spirit they had left and began revolts. Several revolts had occurred in South America and in Europe, but the most apparent were in China, Japan, and America.

Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching unleashed another sonic boom, but the smarter humans hid behind something to avoid the attack by Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching. As soon as the sonic boom was finished, they started running out again and attacking. They knocked down a majority of the guards and Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching was just about to unleash another attack when another sonic boom appeared out of nowhere, but with a greater magnitude. Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching glanced up at the air and found Brick, Boomer, and Butch floating above. While they were smirking, the humans began to scream in fear and began running away.

"About time you showed up," huffed Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching as he put his cymbals down. The Rowdyruff Boys merely rolled their eyes and floated down to the ground. All Brick had to do was glare before the primate started talking once more. "These humans are giving me problems again. They just don't know when to quit. You let your father know about this! He better do something quick! I'm getting tired of having to put these humans back in place!"

"Don't worry, he knows," muttered Brick.

Butch frowned as he watched the humans peer out and some of the braver ones start up again. "Trust me. We don't like coming out and fighting these humans."

"Yeah," Boomer muttered to himself, his arms going over his chest. "You'd rather be out fooling around with girls than here. Pansy man."

"Wanna say that again, blondie?" threatened the green ruff as he glared at his brother. The blue 'ruff didn't manage to say anything to counter because Brick immediately cut them off by instructing them on what they should do to the Asian slaves. Once the red 'ruff was finished speaking, Butch glared at the blonde again and said lowly, "You're lucky Brick stopped me."

Boomer rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, fireball, whatever."

The blonde ruff immediately floated down to the front ranks of Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching's troops and smirked deviously. A couple of humans backed down from the boy, knowing that he was powerful and some retreated. He opened his arms wide, liking welcoming them into a hug and many stood rigid. He chuckled before he clapped his hands together and unleashed a sonic boom.

The tremors of the boom shook the Earth and the humans collapsed into some of the crevices that were created. Others began to retreat. Some, however, remained, got up and continued on, despite the fact that were brutally out-powered.

Butch rolled his eyes before he floated down next to his brother. Smirking, he glanced at his brother and said, "Let me show you how a _real_ ruff does things around here."

Boomer frowned and crossed his arms over his chest. Butch then turned to the oncoming humans and dug his fingers into the earth. He laughed out loud before he tugged the earth up. In a rolling carpet effect, the rioting humans tumbled to the ground. Again, some retreated and others stayed. The slaves were now down to about a dozen people. Those dozen people gritted their teeth before they continued on.

From the air, Brick sighed heavily. "You've got to be kidding me."

Flying above them, he took a deep breath and blew, fire streaming out. He quickly manipulated the flames to create a circle about the dozen humans. All twelve people bunched up together in fear of the flames and Brick floated back to Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching. In the most nonchalant voice ever, the red ruff said, "Put the flames out and apprehend them."

"Do as he says!" the Cymbal Monkey commanded his guards. The troops saluted before they ran off to put out the flames. When the Rowdyruff Boys didn't leave, Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching rose an eyebrow, "What else do you want?"

"Mojo wants something from you," Brick explained as his brothers floated next to him respectively. When the Cymbal Monkey didn't move, the red ruff rolled his eyes again. "He says you know what exactly he wants."

Realization flashed in the monkey's eyes and he nodded. "Follow me."

The Rowdyruff Boys followed him into his castle to retrieve what they came for to give to Mojo when they got home.

 

* * *

 

 

"Did you get it?" Mojo questioned, his eyes narrowing considerably. Brick (for the umpteenth time that day) rolled his eyes and walked up to the Monkey King's desk while Boomer and Butch lazily threw themselves into seats. The leader of the Rowdyruff Boys gave their 'father' the object. Mojo picked it up, laughed evilly and then sighed. "Good, good. Boys, put the plan into action."

 

* * *

 

Bubbles lay out on the ground and examined the stars. Despite the many years she had been living with these stars as her ceiling, she was still fascinated at the endless amount of them. She loved to come out whenever she had no chores and try to count the many stars. Of course, she knew that it was pointless because she would sometimes recount ones she already counted, but it was something to do.

As she let herself get taken over by the silence, she closed her eyes and let her muscles relax. They had been tense for some reason. She thought she vaguely could hear people screaming earlier that day and it made her panic. She told her sisters about it, but both Buttercup and Blossom just brushed it off saying that it was her imagination.

While Bubbles was slowly slipping into her sleep, she heard a faint scream. She bolted upright once she heard it. She knew that scream. She had heard it before. She jumped to her feet and stared out at Earth. It couldn't be, could it? She heard it again.

_The Professor…_

Gasping, Bubbles ran into the stone house where she found Blossom writing different words in the sand (she did this to practice her alphabet) and Buttercup, as usual, staring out the window. They jumped when she came in and shouted, "The Professor! The Professor! He's in trouble!"


	2. Meeting the Master

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Shinpaishinai de kudasai (心配しないでください) - "Please do not worry"
> 
> 2\. Tomodachi (友人/友だち) - "Friend"
> 
> 3\. Nemuri ni itte kudasai, watashi no tomodachi(睡眠に行ってください, 私の友人)- "Go to sleep, my friend"
> 
> 4\. Sofu (祖父) - "Sofu" can mean grandfather and it's more personalized rather than the generic 'Ojiisan'. Both of which can be used.

"What?"

Bubbles looked between both her sisters and had looked like she had honestly expected a different reaction from the two. True, she knew that they wouldn't start screaming in fear for their creator, but she hadn't honestly expected them to brush her off nonchalantly with a ' _what?_ '. Okay, maybe she kind of expected such a reaction from Buttercup, but _not_ from Blossom as well.

The blue-clad girl sighed in frustration. "The Professor is in trouble! You know, _danger_!"

"Let him be," snorted Buttercup as she sat back down at her window and stared out into space. Her face was twisted into a pursed frown and her arms were crossed over her chest in typical fashion. "I don't care anymore. He didn't believe us in the first place, why should we go save him now?"

"Because he's our father!" Bubbles argued.

Apparently this was the wrong thing to say because in a quick and fluid movement, Buttercup jumped to her feet and rounded on her blonde sister. She advanced with such intimidation, the blue-eyed girl felt herself shrink in fear as Buttercup hissed, "A father who blamed us for what happened to Earth! I don't know about you, but I don't want to save a _man_ , not a _father_ , who won't believe his own children!"

"Relax, Buttercup," Blossom's soothing voice interrupted. The emerald-eyed girl huffed as she backed away from Bubbles and retreated back to her window spot. The blonde glanced at her sister pleadingly, hoping beyond hope that her redheaded sister would agree with her. Blossom caught the look and shook her head. "I don't know, Bubbles. A part of me agrees with Buttercup."

"You can't mean that!" squeaked the young teenage girl. Blossom rolled her eyes and walked out of the stone house, her sister following her closely. "You can't honestly mean that, Blossom! _He's our father_!"

"Who, to a certain extent, betrayed us at our most vulnerable point," the redheaded teenager countered as she turned to face her sister. The blue-eyed girl was watching her sister, intently, with eyes full of disappointment, anger, disbelief, and desperation. The look alone had caused Blossom to falter only slightly on her decision to not go and save Professor Utonium.

If anyone was unsure on what to do, it was Blossom. Yes, she may have been the unspoken leader, but she sometimes had the hardest time deciding on what to do and what was safer for her sisters. This rescue mission was a very _big_ danger to the three girls and it could potentially get them killed either way. The humans hated them and the apes hated them even more. It was a risk that Blossom wasn't willing to take.

But…

It was true, the Professor _was_ their father and creator and that gave him the merit (if you could call it that) to be saved by his own daughters and creations. Yes, he didn't believe them that their most vulnerable point, but wasn't he the only one willing to understand and love them when the rest of the town couldn't (and wouldn't) understand _or_ love them? That did give him some good points in Blossom's eyes. Albeit, very small points.

Another thing that bothered Blossom was even _if_ they decided to go and save Professor Utonium, how would they go about it? Blossom had no idea how to plan attacks or rescue missions and the girls didn't know how to properly function as a unit. They weren't trained in combat nor were they able to comprehend the amount of power the girls had. The only thing they truly knew what to do with their powers was fly and use lasers from their eyes. It had been eleven years since they had moved as _one_.

And that was another thing that also caused Blossom to not want to go. The three girls weren't unified. Buttercup still refused to talk to her sisters, Blossom didn't know how to gain control of her team, and Bubbles was so sensitive to everything lately, the redheaded girl highly doubted that she would listen to anyone! Especially when she got extremely emotional. It was almost a hopeless cause. They would be killed in seconds.

All these things that were stacked against the girls going to save their father was what caused Blossom to refuse to go save the man known as their alleged father. The fear of being killed, the fear of disunity, and the fear of actually going back to see the mess they had caused was what was holding them back. Blossom knew deep in her mind and heart that it was wrong that they hid from their problems, but it was the only non-suicidal solution she could come up with.

"But, Blossom…" Bubbles murmured, her eyes saddening. "He's our father. He was confused and lost. He's only human and can make mistakes. You can't say we didn't make a mistake by helping Mojo in the first place. We thought we did good when we were only doing bad. You should know how this works…"

The pink-eyed girl frowned. Of course she knew how it went. She knew that, technically speaking, the girls _had_ done bad first and that they were the ones that messed up and betrayed the Professor first. That's when it dawned upon Blossom. _They_ betrayed the _world_ before the _world_ betrayed _them_. But…they were young and naïve! How were they to know?

 _But we were taught right from wrong_ , Blossom contradicted herself. _And_ you _knew deep down that we were doing wrong. You were just blinded by that passion to do right that you ignored what your morals were telling you_.

Sighing heavily, the 16-year-old girl had bit her lip and thought over everything that she had just contemplated. "But we don't know how to fight anyone. We could get ourselves killed."

It was the last reason that the girl had to keep herself and her two sisters from going to save Professor Utonium. It was a selfish reason that was tearing Blossom up on the inside. She was guilty because she was going to let an innocent man suffer at the hands of a deranged primate for their safety? Blossom sighed. Here she was giving opposite reasons for her own arguments.

"That's why you go in all sneakily like, save him, and fly away at top speed," Buttercup interjected as she came out of the stone house, frowning and grumbling all the way. The pink girl blinked. Wasn't Buttercup against leaving in the first place? Why was she giving advice now of all times? That was just too weird.

Bubbles, however, squealed, jumped on her sister and shouted, "You're going to go with me?"

Buttercup frowned and pushed her sister off. She turned her emerald eyes on her redheaded sister and snapped, "I don't want to, but I can already see that Red is crumbling on the inside. Might as well make things easier here and make the decision for her…" and then grumbled underneath her breath, "…as much as I hate it."

Two sets of eyes turned on the redheaded teenage girl and awaited her response. Blossom pursed her lips together and shook her head. She didn't like this one bit, but she soon discovered that she wasn't going to get out of this anytime soon. And she couldn't let the two girls go on their own now, could she? No. She exhaled deeply. "I'm going to regret this, but…let's go."

Bubbles squealed and Buttercup merely rolled her eyes. In a flash, the three girls flew off their rock and went directly for the planet Earth, not knowing exactly what they were getting into or how they were going to save their captive father. It took them a mere twenty seconds to get to Earth and when they arrived, they arrived to a both horrifying and magnificent sight.

The world was so futuristic and yet…ruined. Townsville was no longer the warm and (slightly) welcome place they had first seen when they were born. It was no longer sunny and cheerful. The weather was overcast, making the mood gloomy and depressing. The most important thing was…there wasn't any human in sight. Bubbles looked horrified, Buttercup looked expectant, and Blossom looked extremely serious.

"Keep an ear out," Blossom whispered, "Listen for anything to tip us off and _be careful_."

"Yeah, yeah," sighed Buttercup as the girls fanned out, listening for another scream from the Professor. They wandered for about five minutes, completely away from each other, but not once did they hear a sound from their creator. Blossom was becoming extremely suspicious at the fact that the pained screams had stopped, Buttercup was becoming annoyed, and Bubbles was fearful that something bad had happened to the Professor.

Away from her two sisters, Blossom examined everything with pursed lips and narrowed eyes. She didn't like the eerie silence of the town and almost considered a retreat back to their rock when a smooth voice, coming out of nowhere, murmured sarcastically, "Well, if it isn't Pinky…where's your gang, Oh Great One?"

The redheaded teenage girl looked overhead to find a floating boy with the same color hair as her, but there were three major differences. He was dressed in black and red, he had the fiercest red eyes that she had ever seen, and he had the most amoral aura she had ever felt. It almost felt worse than Mojo's. She gasped and backed away. "W-who are you?"

He frowned. "I don't see the point in telling you my name when you're just going to be dead in a minute."

The pink-clad girl's eyes widened in fear as she started stumbling backwards briefly before she turned around to run. She didn't get far because she was suddenly yanked back. Her hands flew up to her hair where the boy was grabbing her. She was pulled back until she heard the boy's breath on her neck and he whispered in her ear, "I don't get why Mojo fears you, but I'll fix that in a second. Besides, the only person he should be fearing is _me_."

She felt a searing pain in the lower part of her back before she felt like she was being push through the air. She skidded across the ground before she collided with two hard… _things_. She clutched her pounding head, ignoring the little cuts and bruises on her arms and stomach. She sat up and noticed Bubbles and Buttercup struggling to sit up as well. Apparently, her head collided with Bubbles and Buttercup's.

"Who're these guys?" grumbled the green-clad girl as she sat up.

But no one had a chance to answer because they were suddenly picked up by the boys and tossed into the air. Bubbles let out a scream, Buttercup grunted, and Blossom merely closed her eyes, feeling her body go into new heights. She tried to gain control of the airspeed with her flying abilities, but never got a chance because she felt a punch go directly into her stomach. She choked out, her lungs having a hard time catching her breath. She received a numerous amount of punches pushed into her body, causing her to have a hard time breathing. She could faintly hear the screams of her sisters before she let the darkness creep over her.

 

* * *

 

 

"Well?"

Thunder clash overhead and the rain poured down heavily. Mojo's beady eyes scanned over the smirking faces of Brick, Boomer, and Butch. His hands were lightly clasped together, awaiting the response he longed to hear from his three sons. Brick stood at the center, his hair slightly wet from the rain. "We took care of them, then we had to go solve a revolt down in Iceland. But they're gone. You won't be bothered by them anymore."

The Monkey King smirked. "Good, good." He laughed. "They were completely stupid to fall for such a trap."

He moved his finger outward and pressed a ' _play_ ' button. There was silence for a brief moment before a recorded sound of the Professor screaming came on. Soon after the scream was mixed in with the maniacal laughter of Mojo Jojo, the Monkey King of Planet Earth.

 

* * *

 

 

" _Doushyō, sofu?"_

"Isoide ikenakucha."

 _"Hai_."

Blossom couldn't open her eyes. She could vaguely hear people talking around her and was aware that people were, in fact, surrounding her, but she could not understand their language. They were speaking something completely other than English. Since she literally been living on a rock for the past eleven years, she could not differentiate between languages.

" _Kanojo wo ugokashite! Hayaku!"_

_"Hai."_

The voices sounded urgent and there was more than one. One voice sounded old and demanding as he instructed the younger one what to do. Blossom truly wanted to open her eyes to see what the old man was doing, but her body was no longer obeying her. No longer wanting to remain conscious, the redheaded teenager slipped into the black oblivion of her own mind.

 

* * *

 

 

The sunlight was giving her a headache as she opened her eyes. Daylight came all too soon. It still felt like night to her and her body felt weak. She could barely lift her arms up without her body feeling heavy and it falling back into place. The redhead looked around and examined where she was. That was the only thing she could do. She could move her head around. She was surprised she could even do that, what with the pounding migraine she had.

The place seemed clean and orderly. Nothing like the chaos that was Townsville. Various writing characters were on the wall and Blossom could not identify what they said. They were, according to her, odd shapes, but odd shapes that intrigued her thirsting mind for knowledge. Painted by brushes by the looks of it, too. Two swords hung on the wall as well. One was longer and was put on the top while the other one was shorter and put beneath the longer sword. Buttercup would have liked those swords…

Blossom suddenly gasped.

 _Buttercup! Bubbles!_ Where were they? Were they alright? Were they still alive? Blossom bolted upright, trying to see if she could find her sisters.

"Relax!" a soothing female voice interrupted the silence as hands grabbed Blossom's shoulders and gently pushed her back on to her little bed. Blossom gasped out in pain once she was lying back down and she quickly regretted getting up so rapidly. Her body throbbed and the redheaded girl realized how much damage was inflicted on her body. "Relax, your body will not heal quickly if you rush it."

"Where am I?" Blossom croaked, her voice sounding foreign to her. Her throat was dry and the girl began to wonder how long she had been out. Was it that long for her voice to sound raspy? "How long have I been out? Where are Bubbles and Buttercup? Where are my sisters?"

"You in Fujiwara Dojo," an older voice answered Blossom's question. Blossom's pink eyes shifted to the entrance of the room where she found an elderly man in strange clothes. She didn't recognize this man, but she assumed him to be the owner of the place where she was in. He had spoken in broken English, a thick accent covering the English words, but Blossom could get the gist of what he was saying. "And you been out fourteen days."

 _Two weeks?_ She had been unconscious for two weeks?

"Where are my sisters?"

"That none concern of your foru time being," the old man said as he came into Blossom's view. She was about to jump up again when the woman who had stopped her before grasped her shoulders firmly and kept her lying down.

" _No_! You must rest!" the woman spoke. Unlike the old man, her English was very clear, except for the slight accent she carried. "Your sisters' whereabouts will be revealed in due time. They are safe. _Shinpaishinai de kudasai_."

Although Blossom did not understand what the young woman said to her, she relaxed into the bedding again, feeling somewhat relieved and comforted. Suddenly a question popped into her mind. She furrowed her eyebrows and glanced at the young woman. "What's a 'dojo'?"

" _Miyuki-chan_ ," the old man interjected suddenly and the woman looked in his direction. He spoke quickly in another language, completely foreign to Blossom's understandings, but she recognized it from when she heard people around her. It was a beautiful language, she noted, that flowed gracefully on the tongue, especially on one so fluent. The old man seemed to be instructing the woman before he headed out of the room.

"A dōjō is a place where one practices martial arts," the woman explained once she put her gaze on Blossom again. "Dōjō is what we Japanese call that place."

"Japanese?" Blossom blinked. The woman seemed somewhat shocked when the injured teenager said that comment. Despite the fact that there was shock in the woman's eyes, there was a hint of expectancy. Like she expected Blossom to not know what the Japanese were.

"Japanese is a race of humans. They live on the islands of Japan. You may know them commonly as Asians since we are from the continent of Asia," the woman explained. "The Chinese, Koreans, and so on are also Asian. There are various races out in the world such French, German, Polish, Mexicans, Africans, and many more. Japanese is just one race out of those many. Any more questions, _tomodachi_?"

"Who was that man?"

"That man was Taro, the master of this dojo." The woman paused and then said, "My name is Miyuki. In Japanese you can say ' _Watashi wa Miyuki desu'_ to convey the same meaning. In your case it would be ' _Watashi wa Blossom desu'_. That basically means ' _I am Blossom_ _'_."

Blossom listened carefully, taking in what Miyuki taught her. The Japanese girl eventually explained to Blossom that she was brought here to recuperate from the Rowdyruff Boy assault. She also explained various Japanese words and their culture as well as the regulations of the Japanese culture. Blossom eagerly took in Miyuki had to say. This was exciting. The last time she had learned something new was when she was kindergarten with Ms. Keane as her teacher.

The sudden memory brought Blossom to wonder what had happened to her kindergarten teacher. Did she survive the monkey raid? Was she still living in Townsville and working as a teacher? Or did she quit and go into hiding as some did? Or worse? Blossom's chest tightened at the thought.

Along with the thought of Ms. Keane, came the thought of her two sisters. Although Taro and Miyuki had said that her sisters were safe and that she shouldn't be concerned about where they were, she couldn't help but feel worried. After all, she was the leader of the girls and it was her responsibility to know about their whereabouts and whether they were okay or not.

After an hour of Miyuki teaching Blossom simple Japanese phrases, she left the room with a cup of green tea in her wake for Blossom to drink. Before she left, Miyuki turned around and said, " _Nemuri ni itte kudasai, watashi no tomodachi_."

Though she didn't know word for word what Miyuki said, Blossom knew that she wanted her to sleep. Feeling that there was nothing else to do but stay awake and drink tea, she decided to go back to sleep. After all, sleep would help her recuperate better and faster.

 

* * *

 

 

Following a week of being stuck in a futon with only Miyuki to keep her company, Blossom finally was able to leave her room. She managed to find her way around the hidden dojo (which she discovered was an underground hideaway underneath the ruined city of Osaka) and learned various phrases in Japanese. She discovered several things about Taro and Miyuki, such as the fact that Taro was Miyuki's grandfather, and that the dojo was a replica of the original one that was destroyed aboveground during the monkey raids.

After another week, Miyuki came up to Blossom and told her to follow her. Blossom obeyed and followed the older girl through a series of hallways and tunnels (none of which she knew about). When the pink-eyed girl was just about ready to ask a dozen of questions, they came upon a wall. Miyuki pressed a several buttons on a keypad, which seemed oddly out of place for a dwelling so religiously devoted to the Japanese studies of swordsmanship and traditional arts, before a door appeared and opened into another world.

Blossom watched with wide eyes.

The room was completely unlike any other rooms in the dojo. For one, it was more high-tech than the rest of the underground base and it contained not only ancient Japanese artifacts (which Blossom found quite interesting), but modern weapons as well. The room's walls were also plated with thick steel walls that were covered by thin bamboo slits and Japanese decorations. It was definitely a sight to behold.

"Follow me," murmured Miyuki. Once again, the redheaded girl followed through the decorated hallways with swords and pictures of _samurai_ , a warrior that Miyuki taught Blossom about. She stared at the katanas and pictures when Taro caught her attention at the end of the hallway. Miyuki bowed respectfully. " _Sofu_."

Without another word, the Japanese woman turned around and left both Taro and Blossom alone. The redheaded teenager watched her friend leave before she turned back to the elderly man. After a brief moment of silence, Blossom mumbled, "Excuse me, Taro-san, but why am I here?"

"From now on, I Taro- _sensei_ to you," Taro said solemnly in his Japanese accent. Blossom blinked. From what the Japanese girl had told her, _sensei_ meant 'teacher'. But why would she call Taro 'teacher'? "I am going to teach you about Japanese martial art. I will be your teacher."

"Why?" spluttered Blossom, shocked.

"You must learn," was all he said. Obviously, he left no room for argument or negotiation.

She could only sigh. "Okay…"


	3. Complete Concentration

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspiration for Blossom's training comes from my own Aikido training, my studies of other martial arts, and, hilariously, all the martial arts movies I've watched.

"Miyuki, I don't quite understand what's going on," Blossom remarked quickly once Taro had left the room and his granddaughter began leading her out of it. The two were walking along the hallways, in complete silence, the curiosity eating away at Blossom until no end. "I have so many questions that need answering, but no one seems willing to answer them for me!"

"All will be revealed in due course," Miyuki replied cryptically, her voice even and unwavering. She was also making sure she was not facing Blossom nor looking into her eyes. The pink-clad teenager, however, did not seem pleased with the turn of events and abruptly stopped walking. She frowned and crossed her arms over her chest, glaring at the Japanese girl in front of her. Miyuki noticed and desperately whispered, "Please, you must not question!"

"No, I _must_ question," growled the girl, her glare deepening. "I won't cooperate unless I know what's going on! You won't tell me where my sisters are! If they're alright or _alive_ for that matter! You won't tell me how I got to Japan in the first place! You won't tell me _why_ I need to get trained! This is getting ridiculous! I _need_ to know what's going on here!"

Miyuki rubbed her temples, a growing headache becoming apparent. She struggled with what to say briefly and then muttered to herself, "He said you would be the most difficult one to work with."

The redheaded girl picked up on the sentence due to her sharp hearing and narrowed her eyes. "Who? Who said I would be difficult?"

The Japanese girl noticed her mistake and her face flushed. "No one! Um…e-except for my grandfather! _He_ said that!"

She gave Blossom a meek smile. The redhead knew that Miyuki was hoping that she would accept the lame statement, but she didn't. Miyuki had made several mistakes in her lying, she noted, just through the strain of her voice and her body movements alone. If she had hoped to recover what she said, she would have needed to keep the heat from rising to her face and to keep her voice as even as possible. She also didn't think up a lie quickly enough because her statement had contradicted itself. Her 'grandfather' couldn't possibly be 'no one'. It was then that Blossom realized that Miyuki was a terrible liar as well as the fact she was hiding something.

Her small falter had also given Blossom all that she needed to know. And while her immediate questions had not been answered, the reply that the young Japanese girl had given revealed one major aspect to the recent turn of events: Taro was not acting alone nor was he acting of his own accord. In fact, _someone_ had ordered Taro to train her. And this _someone_ knew exactly how to treat Blossom – by keeping her in the dark and learning about _other_ things to keep her mind _off_ of the current problems. There were only two people who knew how to handle her like that.

Blossom didn't know for sure which person it was, but she knew that she would have to get it out of Miyuki. She had an inkling of how to go about getting information out of her, but knew she would have to be delicate. If she pushed too hard, then she wouldn't get any information out of Taro's granddaughter.

Miyuki, on the other hand, kept praying that Blossom would at least accept her excuse for now. Yet deep down, she knew the redhead didn't and she knew the girl knew that she was lying. Miyuki was instructed to be careful with her words when she was around the pink girl because Blossom was the most perceptive one out of all three girls. In fact, Miyuki could see the various plans formulating in her head through her eyes. Blossom may have skipped out on eleven years worth of education, but she was easily the most naturally intelligent girl she had ever known.

Knowing that Blossom would not relent, Miyuki examined the halls before she said in a rushed whisper, "Follow me back to the room. I'll explain everything there. It's too risky out in the open. I fear an interruption if I explain here and sometimes… _the walls have ears_."

The curious leader nodded and both girls had quickly gone through the halls, back to the room Blossom had first woken up. As Miyuki kneeled down to shut the sliding doors, Blossom touched the walls and realized the walls were a lot thicker than they let on. _The room was soundproof_ , she noted. _Even the doors must be heavy_.

Once the doors were shut, Miyuki scanned the room before she moved to the farthest back corner and motioned for Blossom to come to her. She moved to the Asian woman and kneeled down. Miyuki scanned the room once more as Blossom murmured, "Explain everything."

"I can't explain _everything_ just yet, but I can explain what's going on at this moment," the young girl responded in a hushed voice. "After the Rowdyruff Boys att – "

"Who?"

"The Rowdyruff Boys. The three boys who attacked you," explained Miyuki. When she noticed the confused look on Blossom's face, she sighed heavily. "Looks like I'm going to have to explain what happened after you left for _wherever_ you left for."

Blossom nodded as her friend continued, "After you three girls left, the primates moved in swiftly and removed most government figures from office. They stripped them of their titles, homes, and bodyguards. It was quick and brutal. When the primates took over the governments and took down the United Nations, a struggle for dominance and power overcame them. They argued and fought over who would become the supreme leader. For six months, they fought violently, the casualties of humans rising higher than the primates. On top of that, the villains of Townsville, who were silent up until this point in time, had also sought the chance to take over what Mojo Jojo had started.

"But it was Mojo that had finally risen above the rest. He had created three super-powered boys, who called themselves the _Rowdyruff Boys_. They took down all those who opposed Mojo and dealt with the villains mercilessly. With the help of these three boys, Mojo claimed control over the world. Now, Mojo was the smartest and the strongest of them. He called himself the Supreme Monkey King above all, but gave the major countries to the other monkeys to watch over for him – only those he deemed competent and loyal.

"Knowing that the others would sometimes entertain thoughts of overthrowing him and that human rebellions would begin to take place once the dust settled, he instructed the three boys to, I guess, _police_ for him. They would stop humans in three quick movements and bully the primates who entertained plans to overthrow Mojo. They are every human's worst nightmare."

"But…why couldn't the boys just overthrow Mojo somehow if they were more powerful than he?" Blossom blinked, taking in all this information. That explained all the screaming they had heard all those many years while up on Rocky.

Miyuki shook her head. "We think that Mojo has something to control them. What it is, we don't know, but it's our only plausible explanation. Anyway, eleven years later, you girls fell into a trap set up by Mojo to make you girls think that your Professor Utonium was in danger. He sent the boys after you to kill you, but they didn't quite finish the job because a revolt Iceland started just then. They're so used to killing everyone that they didn't check for a pulse and left. That was their flaw. Instead of killing you, you survived. Badly beaten, but survived. Once the boys finished, my colleagues and I were instructed by Grandfather to bring you here to Japan and have you recuperate from the attack."

"But why? It was my sisters and I who started this mess!" Blossom cried, her guilt suddenly overcoming her. It _was_ their fault. If they hadn't listened to Mojo, none of this would have happened. They probably would have gained the acceptance of the humans and would have lived on in peace. But instead, they got the world into this mess and now the world was helping them heal.

Miyuki smiled sadly. "Not everyone holds a grudge, Blossom. Most humans are taught to forgive."

"But unfortunately that's not always the case," the redhead muttered bitterly, thinking of her supposed father. There was silence between the two girls before she said, "Miyuki, what about you? Why are you living with your grandfather? I don't want to be rude and pry into your personal life, but…"

"Don't worry," the girl murmured softly and shook her head. "My parents had died five years ago. They were leading a rebellion against Mojo and Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching. Both of them fought bravely for our freedom, but it was not enough to defeat the Rowdyruff Boys."

"I'm sorry."

"No, don't fret," Miyuki said with a smile upon her face. "I am honored to have such good parents. They fought for my well being and I knew what their intentions were. Constantly mourning for them wouldn't be something they would want. It would almost disgrace their memory because I know they would want me to be happy."

Again, silence enveloped the two girls. With the talk about family, it had brought Blossom up to the next question that had been bugging her for the past two weeks and she hadn't said anything about it up until now. "Where are my sisters? Are they okay?"

"Your sisters are in other parts of Japan and are safe." Blossom sighed out in relief. "We knew you three girls would be easier to track if you were together if suspicion arose you girls were still alive. We had to separate you in order to protect you and to give the illusion that you are dead. The farther away from America and each other, the safer you are."

Blossom leaned back and nodded. "And why train me?"

Miyuki paused, thinking about what she would say next. Again, the thought of being careful with her words sprung to mind. Instead of directly answering her, she gave Blossom a different answer. "You are about to undergo many years worth of learning martial arts in six months. It will be rigorous and exhausting, but we think you can do it."

This time, the redhead narrowed her eyes, never missing a beat. "But _why_ – "

"That's all I can say for now. You will get more information later, but I am already treading on dangerous water by letting you know all that you know now." Miyuki got up an walked over to the door before she stopped and called over her shoulder. "Get some rest. Tomorrow will be a tiring day and it won't do if you're sleeping through most of it."

With that, she walked out of the room and left Blossom to herself. The pink-eyed girl, however, was far from sleepy. In fact, she was analyzing everything that Miyuki had said. Although Taro's granddaughter had been cautious with everything that came out of her mouth, she wasn't cautious enough. Although Blossom still didn't know _who_ was behind everything, she had a pretty good idea of what was in store for herself and her sisters.

And Blossom was also feeling pretty confident that if Miyuki didn't stop talking to her, she would reveal everything to her in 'due course', as the young Japanese girl kept telling her. With a proud smirk on her face and knowledge in her head, Blossom slipped into bed and let exhaustion overcome her.

 

* * *

 

 

"Miyuki tell me that you ready," Taro mumbled as he took a sip of his tea. Blossom bowed respectfully and nodded her head. When she had woken up that morning, Miyuki fed her a brisk breakfast before instructing her to go down to the training grounds where Taro was waiting for her. "We work on reflex. You have slow reflex. Make you vulnerable."

Although her pride got in the way and made her slightly offended by the observation, she knew that it was true. When she was going against the red Rowdyruff, she couldn't see what was he doing to her. He was quick and she had no chance to defend herself. So, she listened carefully as Taro briefly went over her training within the next couple of months. They would be working on reflexes, balance, defense, meditation, weapon control and certain things that didn't seem to be martial arts, but Taro insisted that Blossom learn.

So, without further argument, Blossom learned.

 

* * *

 

 

_**The First Month  
Reflexes** _

 

 

"You too slow!"

"I can't!" Blossom panted as she pulled her shoulder length hair back into a low ponytail. Her perspiration trailed down her face and back as she placed the palms of her hands on her knees to catch her breath. Tennis balls were strewn about, around her, and bruises were beginning to form on her arms and legs, which wasn't an easy feat. "I can't…"

"You must focus!" Taro yelled at her.

They had been going at it for awhile and Blossom still couldn't catch on to her reflexes exercise. She kept getting hit and hardly had the time to dodge the attacks. "They're going too fast! How can I catch them when I can't even see them? This is ridiculous! This isn't some cartoon or movie where everything happens miraculously and unnaturally!"

Taro sighed. "Yes, but you not natural. You have unnatural power. Use it! Harness it! It will come, it will come!"

"I haven't used my powers in eleven years," Blossom muttered to herself, getting angry now. She stood back up, exhaustion taking over her body. She shook her head and got ready for another round of tennis balls being shot at her at unnatural speeds.

"Blossom, speed is relative! It's only a matter of physics!" Miyuki called over from where she was sitting and observing the training. "You should see more if you don't think about the velocity and acceleration of the object. Use your instincts!"

Blossom nodded and readied herself.

 

* * *

 

 

_**The Second Month  
Balance** _

 

"Balance is important," Miyuki explained as both her and Taro's sharp eyes watched Blossom focus on the stance that she was currently in. The redheaded girl, he noted, was not centering her weight properly, despite her feet being in the right place. "Not only does it help you walk, but it helps you remain steady and in control in a fight. You loose balance, you loose everything."

Blossom nodded and continued to try to remain in perfect balance. When she stopped struggling and became thought she had balanced her weight, Miyuki came over and lightly pushed the girl, causing the redhead to topple to the ground. Taro shook his head, exasperated and Miyuki giggled. "Your stance was not perfect."

"This is so hard!"

"Yes, but if it was easy, we wouldn't spend time training," the smiling girl said, a twinkle of mischief in her eyes. She helped Blossom back into the proper stance and as the redhead focused on balancing her weight, the Japanese girl continued to explain the lesson. "Not only is balance important in a human, it is important in all matters. Balance is important in the way of life. As you know life is full of opposites…"

 

* * *

 

 

_**The Third Month  
Defense** _

 

"You not have good offense without good defense!" Taro explained. "It important lesson! Young ones learn in games and you must learn now!"

Blossom panted as she tried to block every throw that Miyuki had sent her way. And while she managed to block most because of the reflexes exercises, her defense was still somewhat poor. But Blossom didn't see it immediately until Miyuki got a punch in. Although it didn't hurt, it still caught Blossom off guard. She tumbled and fell on the ground. Once the shock disappeared, she asked, "How'd you do that! I thought I was giving you problems!"

"Even a good defense has a opening," Miyuki smiled. "And a problem is just a misunderstood opportunity."

"Huh?" blinked Blossom.

The Japanese girl smiled. "You need to work on your defense."

"Oh…" mumbled the redhead as she stood up. She scratched the back of her head. "I guess I haven't been utilizing everything that I know, huh?"

"Balance," was all Miyuki said as Taro yelled at them to get into their fighting stances.

"Balance…right," the pink-clad girl muttered as she and Miyuki got into their fighting positions once more. They didn't move for quite sometime, both thinking about how they were going to go about this until both moved at the exact same time and began the dance of offense and defense.

 

* * *

 

 

_**The Fourth Month  
Meditation** _

 

Blossom growled out in frustration as Miyuki came and bothered her again. It wasn't like this was second or third time Miyuki bugged her while she was trying to find ' _peace within_ '. It was about the eighth time that she had come up to her! It was bad enough that she had messed up on her defense exercises today and couldn't find her balance! She did not need Miyuki bugging her. Getting angry, she finally snapped, "Leave me alone!"

"A calm head, even when angry, is useful," Miyuki frowned right back at Blossom causing the redhead to falter. "What is one of the first few rules we taught you, Blossom?"

The redheaded girl sighed heavily and rubbed her temples, still frustrated but trying to calm herself down. "Never attack out of anger."

Taro's granddaughter nodded. "Yes. You attack out of anger, you loose your calm mind and your concentration. And when you attack with a clouded and angered mind, you loose your balance. You loose your balance, you loose your defense, offense, and reflexes. Being calm is essential to winning and not succumbing to your darker half. Try it again."

And with that, Blossom went back into a lotus position and did her best to loose herself within her mind and ignore everything that Miyuki was doing around her. A calm mind…

 

* * *

 

 

 _**The Fifth Month** _ _**  
Weapon Control** _

 

Blossom's eyes widened as she passed by every weapon imaginable. Kunai, tonfa, kodachi, katana, shuriken, halberds, chakrams, everything imaginable! The weapon collection was impressive! Even after the six months that she had been here, this collection alone had been the one thing to surprise her. She didn't even know they _had_ a weapons room like this! Blossom almost felt overwhelmed by the sheer number of weapons in the room and _she_ would have to learn how to use them _all_ in one month.

"Though you probably won't use them, my grandfather says that it is important that you are to use all weapons," Miyuki explained as they finally came to the back of the impressive room. "He says it is wise to pick only one weapon type to specialize in. Pick one."

The redhead nodded and began examining each weapon carefully, trying to find the one that that would work with her most. It took about five minutes before she came upon a weapon. They were twin blades and silver in its coloring. Looking at Miyuki, she pointed at them. "These…I want these."

Miyuki nodded. "The sai."

 

* * *

 

 

The sixth month had been spent with computers. She had learned to hack into computers, install viruses and even learned to control computer feeds from other computers and set up spy systems. Not only did she work with computers, she learned stealth and disguise. She didn't know what exactly these _espionage_ traits were useful for during a fight, but she had learned to not question Taro and Miyuki.

On the final two days of the sixth month, she had taken tests. The first day was spent with combat. Everything she had learned from offense, defense, balance, meditation and control. And then on the second day, she had been tested on her espionage skills. Secretly breaking into a designated target, installing a spy system on a computer, putting a virus on another and gathering information – all in the quick timeframe of fifteen minutes.

When she was done, Miyuki and Taro had congratulated her on how well she had done. Without realizing it, Blossom had become an ultimate enemy to Mojo and the Rowdyruff boys. She had become everything she was meant to become when she was little and then some. Words could not truly explain who Blossom had become within the seven months she had spent at the Fujiwara Dojo.

She had also been rewarded some new clothes instead of the shabby ones she was used to. The clothes were dominantly black, but with two shades of pink zippers and pockets in the most random places. Miyuki had also given her a matching choker and earrings as a sign of friendship. The earrings were cross-shaped (though not completely) and the choker was black, with the same cross-shaped design dangling from the cloth.

The following morning, Miyuki had shaken Blossom awake and told her to get dressed. The redhead immediately dressed in her new clothes and when she was decent, the Japanese girl came back in and said quickly, "Follow me."

Both girls walked through the halls of the dojo until they came upon the same room that Miyuki had led her to six months ago. There, she found Taro waiting for her. Miyuki handed off a confused Blossom to her grandfather before she bowed respectfully at both and mumbled, "Goodbye, my friend. We shall see each other again. Hopefully sooner than later."

Before Blossom could say anything, Miyuki turned around and left. She looked at Taro and the elderly man had merely nodded at her. He pressed the code into the keypad and when the doors open, two women were revealed, waiting for her. Blossom blinked rapidly, recognizing them from somewhere. One was a tall redhead and the shorter one had short black hair that only went down to her chin. They both smiled and the shorter woman said, "Hello, Blossom. Long time no see."

Blossom titled her head. "Ms. Keane? Ms. Bellum?"

Ms. Bellum nodded. "Welcome back."


	4. The Board Is Set

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like everyone to take note that "John" isn't a canon name for Professor Utonium. It is something I'm simply using.

"You're so strong."

 _Giggle._ "And hot."

"And _so_ talented."

Brick rolled his eyes at the three human girls that were hanging all over Butch. He knew those girls didn't particularly care for Butch other than his looks and the fact that they thought if they were on his good side, nothing could happen to them. Oh, how wrong they were. Once Butch was done with them, they were back to the slave quarters and were treated exactly how everyone else was treated. It wasn't fair, but it was better than something else (something much darker) that could happen to them.

The three boys were currently lounging in their luxurious living room. Brick was watching as Boomer played on his video games while Butch had three girls fussing over him. They had been bored for the past couple of months because the human revolts were small. They mostly occurred in America, the Middle East, or Europe. Some revolts in the Asian countries had occurred, but for some strange and suspicious reason, Japan had been silent.

Not that the boys cared.

Maybe the Japanese had finally learned to not mess with the boys or maybe the Japanese were the smarter ones by staying quiet. Whatever the case, the boys didn't care. That gave them more free time to themselves to kick back and relax. Of course, Mojo was suspicious about the silence the country was giving them, thinking that they were planning something, but the three boys thought he was being paranoid. But still…they were bored. The last real action they had was when they beat the living daylights out of those three girls.

And that was another thing that bothered Brick. When they had come back from Iceland to dispose of the bodies, they weren't there. They had completely vanished; minus some of the blood had been left over. Of course, it didn't bother Boomer and Butch for long, saying that the humans had picked them up and gotten rid of them. Not like that was odd. There were so many deaths amongst the humans, the humans buried the bodies and went on with life – trying to stop a pandemic from occurring from the corpses.

Naturally, Brick never mentioned this Mojo. The more the monkey was in the dark, the better things were for the boys. Because then Mojo would send them on a wild goose chase for the bodies and that was something none of the Rowdyruffs wanted to do. They may have superpowers, but they were _still_ boys and were lazy about doing chores. They preferred pizza, girls, and video games above working. Even if 'working' was something they liked to do.

 

* * *

 

 

Blossom's shock could not be described in words. She wondered why the in the world the two women knew that she was here. She wondered if they were all right and how they got to Japan. She was also wondered if anyone else she knew was here. Taro bowed to the two women before ushering Blossom into the room.

Both Ms. Keane and Ms. Bellum had been walking down the hall and Blossom jogged to catch up with them. She looked between the two, still trying to grasp the fact that they were here. Ms. Keane noticed Blossom's look and giggled. "We got here this morning."

"But…how…" the teenage girl was still at a loss for words.

"After you girls left, a majority of the humans were placed – and still are – under slavery. That included Sara and myself. We, luckily, after a short while of being captive, managed to escape from Mojo's grasp. Many humans were beginning to get refuge in – _unfortunately_ _–_ the sewers. We both detested going under there, but it was better than suffering underneath Mojo's oppression any longer. Some of the kids from your class like Kim, Mary and Mitch had also run into there. I don't know what happened to most of my class and I still wonder…" Ms. Keane's voice trailed off, a lost look overcoming her eyes, causing Blossom to feel guilty.

"We've been living in underground hideaways ever since. We've managed to keep undetected by Mojo by not using much technology. But Brick is a tricky one to get by. We've nearly been caught by him a couple of times," Ms. Bellum continued.

Blossom rose an eyebrow. "Brick?"

"Your counterpart," Ms. Keane answered and stopped in front of another closed door. The teenage girl still looked confused, but the teacher waved her hands and shook her head. "Don't worry about it! We'll explain everything in a little bit. You wait here with Taro while we go get – er – _something_."

The two women walked off down the hall. Once they were out of hearing range, Blossom turned to Taro and quietly asked in a hushed whisper, " _Sensei_ , what's going on?"

"You see," Taro answered shortly.

Blossom nodded and both student and teacher fell into silence. They waited patiently in the quiet, giving them time to reflect. The girl smiled, slightly noting that had this been six months ago, she would have been very impatient and asking too many questions, probably getting more cryptic responses than the straight forward answers that she sought after. When she finally started getting impatient, she closed her eyes and slipped into her mind to calm herself. She might as well meditate while she waited for Ms. Bellum and Ms. Keane to come back.

As she meditated, she thought she heard something high pitched from the entrance, but brushed it off as the sliding door possibly hissing open. She didn't really think much of it until she heard a high-pitched voice scream her name and arms suddenly envelop around her. Her eyes snapped open and looked to see who was hugging her. There, she found her blonde sister hugging her tightly. Grinning widely, she threw her arms around her and shouted, "Bubbles! You're okay!"

When she pulled away from her sister's iron grip, she noticed Buttercup standing off to the side. Walking away from her blonde sister, she came up to her dark-haired sister and both stared at each. There was a tense silence between everyone in the room before both hotheaded leader and stubborn sister smiled at each other and hugged.

"Good to see you, Leader Girl," Buttercup muttered.

Blossom rose an eyebrow. "'Leader Girl'?"

The green-clad girl shrugged and that's when Blossom noticed the change in her sisters. None of them seemed as temperamental and very at ease with their surroundings, yet alert. They had obviously been trained much like Blossom had been trained the past six months. Not only that, but Blossom noticed the clothes change. Bubbles was dressed in layers (a skirt over pants?) and Buttercup had (one too many) belts on her body. They were complex outfits to explain, but they were definitely keen and sharper than the rags they had been wearing.

The redheaded leader also noticed that Ms. Keane and Ms. Bellum were not alone. There were two other people next to them as well. One was a woman who looked to be in her mid-thirties and the other was an older man who looked only slightly older than the woman. They, she figured, must have been Buttercup and Bubbles' teachers. She bowed her head at them and they bowed their heads back at her.

"Well," Ms. Bellum interrupted with a small smile, "I'm glad for the reunion, but we have much to explain. So, if you please follow me, everyone, then we can begin."

The three sisters and four teachers nodded as they all waited for Ms. Bellum. While she punched in the code for the door, Blossom had a comforting feeling of familiarity settle over her. Ms. Keane was still nice, Ms. Bellum was still the political diplomat as always and her sisters seemed to be the same, only the calmer and more mature, versions of themselves.

The door opened finally and the redhead caught a glimpse of someone else sitting in the room. Ms. Bellum nodded at them and everyone followed her inside the room. In the room, there was a round conference table and it was who was at the head of the table that shocked the three girls. While the three Japanese teachers took seats next to each other and Ms. Bellum and Ms. Keane took seats off to the side, the three teenage girls stared at the person sitting at the head of the table.

There sat Professor John Utonium.

Their father and creator. The person who didn't believe them when they said they had no idea that the destruction of the monkeys was going to happen. The man they hadn't seen in eleven years and seven months. The man who they felt they betrayed and vice versa. It was just such a shock. It was finally Buttercup who broke the silence. " _YOU!_ What the _hell_ are _you_ doing here!"

Professor Utonium didn't seem shocked by Buttercup's reaction. Blossom tore her gaze from the Professor and looked at Buttercup. The green girl's fists were clenched and her teeth were grit. Her anger seemed to be getting the best of her. Buttercup's teacher, the other man, suddenly boomed in a deep voice, "Buttercup, that's enough."

"NO!" yelled the emerald-eyed girl. "I wanna know why the hell he's here!"

The teacher tried to calm his student once more, but failed miserably as she kept yelling and ranting and wanting to know _why_ the Professor was sitting before them, calmly. Her teacher started to get exasperated when Blossom's calm voice echoed above the yelling. "Buttercup."

Despite the fact that Blossom hadn't raised her voice or reprimanded her, the mere mention of her name caused Buttercup to calm down considerably. She had glanced back at her sister and noticed the redheaded leader glaring at her, silently reprimanding her for her behavior. Now peaceful, Buttercup scoffed and crossed her arms over her chest, looking away from their father. John, keeping his composure, said softly, "Impressive. Why don't you girls sit down."

Bubbles was the first to move and sat in the seat closest to the Professor. Blossom placed a hand on her green sister's shoulder before moving to the seat next to Bubbles and Buttercup finally moved to sit down next to Blossom, which was the seat furthest from the Professor. Their seating arrangement, ironically, was how each felt about their father. Bubbles was excited to see him again, Blossom was indifferent, and Buttercup upset.

"Setsuko-san…" the Professor nodded to the woman, "…Hayate-san…" he nodded to the other man, "…and Taro-san, thank you for watching over the girls and training them. I am in your debt considerably for doing this favor for me."

Buttercup opened her mouth again to make another retort, but Blossom cut her off with a look and then said, "I don't mean to interrupt, Professor, but I have a question. What was the point of all this training? I mean, I have an idea of _why_ we're training, but I need to be sure."

Professor Utonium smiled and nodded. "I expected as much from you, Blossom. Why don't you tell me your theory."

"Well, I talked to Miyuki and she told some things. I managed to connect the dots and came up with this theory." She paused, noticing that all eyes were on her and she felt slightly embarrassed, hoping to God that she wasn't wrong. "My theory is that you're training us to fight against Mojo and the Rowdyruff Boys because we're the only ones capable and strong enough to do so."

" _What_!" Buttercup shouted and looked incredulously at her sister. Even Bubbles had a worried look cross over her face. It had suddenly occurred to the intelligent leader that neither of her sisters inquired as to why they were being trained. They just accepted it and trained regardless of their curiosity. "Are you stupid! Why would we go against them! They beat the crap out of us last time!"

"Actually, Buttercup," the Professor interjected calmly as he brought out a laser pointer, "She's right. Taro-san told me, Blossom, that you had the ability to analyze and pick up on the littlest things. He said you managed to figure it out after the first month you being with them. Frankly, I thought it would take another couple of months."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence in my sister," snorted Buttercup earning another glare from Hayate and Blossom. When she noticed the looks, she settled back in her seat, grumbling about everything and muttering cuss words underneath her breath.

Again, the Professor didn't look fazed. "Don't worry. I expected this from Buttercup."

"You expected a lot, didn't you?" Bubbles spoke up quietly for the first time. The Professor glanced at the three girls. Bubbles looked very passive, Blossom looked expectant, though wary as if she was analyzing everything, and Buttercup still had the scowl on her face, not letting her full capabilities to handle the situation as she had been taught. It seemed that Buttercup had trouble with the meditation exercise.

"Yes," murmured the man, "I expected a lot."

"And my explanation?" Blossom interrupted, her voice very thin.

"Ah yes," the Professor said and pressed a button on the pointer. A holographic projector suddenly lit up and a picture of Townsville being attacked appeared. A hurt looked flashed over Bubbles as Blossom and Buttercup remained indifferent. "You see, after you girls left, Townsville was left in destruction, but I didn't care much. I was sent into a Japanese imprisonment camp shortly after Mojo took over. For several months, I analyzed what happened again and again, and couldn't see where I went wrong."

Buttercup's scowl deepened as John pressed another button and a picture of a cackling Mojo Jojo flashed. "But of course, I realized that _nothing_ went wrong with you girls, but with how I made you girls. I realized that the explosion of Chemical X had affected my pet monkey, Jojo, causing his brain to grow abnormally and for him to gain an exceeding amount of knowledge. This knowledge created _them_."

A picture of the Rowdyruff Boys appeared. "The Rowdyruff Boys. Brick –" He looked at Blossom, " – Boomer –" He glanced at Bubbles and then turned his gaze on Buttercup, "– and Butch. Your counterparts. I studied them for quite sometime and found they were merely male versions of you girls. And that's when a thought occurred to me as I observed them fighting."

"If they're so much like us and they fight, why can't we?" Blossom finished off his thought and John nodded.

"Exactly," he paused slightly and glanced at the girls, "Then I needed to figure out a way to get you girls down from the meteor you inhabited and train you in secret. However, Mojo got to you first. You see, he still fears you. He knew what would happen if you realize your full potential and needed you out of the way – permanently."

"And he set that trap," Bubbles whispered, looking down, now feeling foolish to fall for such a trap. She looked apologetically at her sisters and the two girls smiled at her, forgiving her instantaneously. Yes, Blossom knew it was a trap, but quickly conveyed to her sister through her smile that it wasn't entirely Bubbles' fault.

Now Blossom spoke up, "How did he get that recorded scream of you?"

John sighed heavily, closing his eyes in the process. "During the several months underneath the… _hospitality_ of Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching, I was tortured. Mojo wanted several secrets out of me. I guess during that time, they recorded my screaming. He then, again, used that to lure you girls down from Earth to get into that fight with the boys."

"Yes," Ms. Bellum continued for John suddenly. "Luckily the boys didn't check your pulse and that Taro and his colleagues were there visiting our base that day. We managed to recover you before the boys came back and got you out of the country as quietly and as quickly as possible. We're sorry we had to separate you, but - "

"It was for our safety and protection," the pink-eyed girl cut her off. "That it would be easier to track us if we were together."

"I take it Miyuki told you that," Ms. Keane asked and Blossom nodded.

There was silence once more between the nine people, the girls, especially, taking in this information. For the first time that day, Buttercup had managed to gain control over her emotions and remarked in a gentle voice, "So, you trained us to go against the boys. I get that. But I what I don't get is why all the espionage stuff."

Bubbles and Blossom nodded. "I don't understand that either."

The Professor sat down in his seat and pressed the pointer again. A holographic picture of a twisted version of Townsville Hall appeared. It _looked_ like Townsville Hall, but a more sinister version with blacks and purples all over the place. "We can't tear down Mojo's kingdom from the outside, but rather from the inside. I want you girls to go inside and tear them down. Destroy their governments, break their trust with each other and crash their computers. Without communication and trust, it will be easier to beat them from the outside."

"But the Rowdyruff Boys will still be an obstacle and how are we supposed to crash their systems, governments, and computers if we can't even get _into_ Townsville Hall because of them?" Bubbles observed and her sisters silently agreed with her.

"You're girls for a reason," Ms. Bellum smiled. The three girls raised an eyebrow.

"We want you to use the boys," Setsuko's feminine voice rang out, "by any means necessary. Seduce them if you have to. But you need to get into their minds and break them."

Bubbles looked a little worried while Buttercup looked almost appalled at the idea. Blossom, however, had her eyebrows scrunched up in thought, going over and thinking everything through. Everyone in the room could tell she was already calculating everything that needed to be done. Sitting back in her seat after a couple of minutes, she sighed. "Let me get this straight. You want us to use the boys by any means necessary to break into Townsville Hall and destroy them from the inside…"

The adults nodded. "Yes."

"…and then once we've done that, we betray the boys and beat them from the outside because they can't get control from the inside?" Blossom continued. She paused slightly. She bit her bottom lip and chewed on it for awhile. "I'm under the impression we use our skills of stealth and disguise to do this?"

" _Hai_ ," Taro spoke up.

"It appears to me that my sisters and I are in a game of seduction, espionage and deception," she concluded. The adults nodded once more. She nodded at them in turn and then glanced at her sisters. "What do you think? You want to or not?"

Buttercup rubbed her temples. "I'm not so thrilled about the _seduction_ part, but…what do we got to lose?"

"Besides our lives?" Bubbles questioned, looking at her sisters like they were crazy. "I'm not so sure about this, girls. I mean, don't you remember how those boys beat us like last time? I, personally, don't want to go back to that! Why can't we stay here with everyone?"

"And go back to our pathetic lives of running?" Buttercup shook her head. "I don't think so! Besides we followed you when you wanted to save the supposedly endangered professor! I think it's your turn to follow me and Leader Girl!"

The blonde girl blushed in embarrassment and her eyebrows furrowed in shame. Blossom noticed the look and slapped her green sister on her arm. Buttercup quickly clutched it and glared at her redheaded sister. Finally turning to her two sisters, the leader of the three girls uttered her opinion, "I think it's time we took responsibility for our actions. I think it's time we stepped up. Besides, we're more skilled than we were the last time we fought them."

Bubbles considered everything briefly before she exhaled deeply. "Fine. I agree."

Blossom nodded and then looked at her father. "We'll do it."

The Professor smiled and Ms. Keane cheered out, "Excellent!"

John stood up and everyone turned their gaze to him. He nodded at each other the girls and said solemnly, "Pack your things as quickly as possible. We're moving to our base in the United States. Luckily, it's a dōjō, much like this one, so there will be some familiarity for you." He paused. "It won't do if you have to fly over the Pacific every time. It'll make it easier for you to be detected if you do such a thing."

He sat down and stared at the unsettled teenage girls. Despite the uneasiness of the three girls (all uneasy for various reasons), they still knew they had a job to do. Buttercup wasn't too thrilled to seduce because it just wasn't what she did. Bubbles was scared of falling into another trap. And Blossom was uneasy because she knew she'd have to come up with safe plan. And yet, through the uneasiness and doubt, everyone in the room thought the exact same thought:

Let the game begin.


	5. ABC

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shuttle idea came from Eoin Colfer's Artemis Fowl series - I take no credit for that.

"Did he even say he was sorry?"

Blossom and Bubbles exchanged glances and then glanced at a sneering Buttercup, who had asked the question. Blossom thought back to the meeting that had taken place not ten minutes ago and tried to see if their creator had apologized. It suddenly came to her that he _hadn't_ said he was sorry. But then again, neither had they. Both parties should have apologized for everything that had happened eleven and a half years ago.

"I don't think so," mumbled Bubbles as she shook her head. The three girls were on their way over to Blossom's room to spend the night. The three girls refused to leave each other (on Blossom's excuse that they needed to plan on what they were going to do about the boys and Mojo's empire) and their three teachers had been weary with travel and decided to stay. That suited everyone just fine and Blossom had immediately volunteered her room for her sisters. Besides, the next morning they were packing Blossom's things so they could immediately leave for the United States.

"Great," grumbled Buttercup as they entered their sister's room and sat down on the floor immediately. "Just great. What? Does he expect us to forgive him immediately be all ' _buddy, buddy_ ' with him?" She snorted and rolled her eyes. "And they call him a _genius_?"

"Actually," the blue-eyed sister interjected sternly, "I think we should apologize first. After all it _is_ our fault that this happened. If anyone's at fault, it's us."

Buttercup's jaw bobbed for a brief moment from anger, trying to comprehend what Bubbles said. What irritated her was the fact that deep down she knew her sister was right and that they should apologize first. She only blamed the Professor because she didn't want to put the blame on herself. At least it wasn't Blossom that brought Buttercup to this realization because _that_ would have made everything ten times worse.

Blossom, on the other hand, vaguely listened to the two bickering girls. Her mind was more focused on the fact that they needed to figure out how to get into the former Townsville Hall, gain the boys' trust, and destroy everything from the inside out. This was a tricky and dangerous process that Blossom felt deserved all of her intelligence and attention. If everything were going to go according to plan than they would need to be careful.

The redhead looked around the bare room and knew this wouldn't do. She knew she was going to go to the computer lab when they reached the base in America and run diagnostic scans on Townsville Hall. And maybe, she figured, if she was lucky then she could find recordings of the boys beating them up to get familiar with their fighting style. She knew it was a slim chance to find recordings (especially ones from seven months ago), but it was worth a try if it put the girls one step ahead of the Rowdyruff Boys.

They were formidable foes and Blossom knew they were going to have to be prepared.

 

* * *

 

 

His hands were clasped and placed on his lips. His fierce red eyes scanned the computer screen before him. A frown was etched on his face, though invisible to the world because of the fact his hands were in the way. He was leaning towards the high-tech computer and was searching for anything out of place. But nothing was coming and it was beginning to get on his nerves.

He was by no means an impatient person, but it was never good when something got on his nerves. As much as Brick hated to be fit into stereotypes, he knew that his temper was probably by far worse than his brothers, combined, and all three had horrible tempers. The difference between him and his brothers, though, was that he controlled it better than they did. And not to mention the fact that he relied on his intellect before he relied on the brute strength or his anger. Besides, if he let the anger go to his head, then he was no better than Butch.

Had this been eleven and half years ago, when he and his brothers were born, he would have brashly denied that he had any connection to knowledge. He liked pranks and he liked mayhem. Those were two precious jewels to him when he was a mere boy at the age of five. He would rather spend his days having burping contests with his brothers than have anyone find him with his nose buried in a book or looking up something 'boring' on the internet.

But he had settled into his intelligence by the time he had reached the age of fourteen. Sure, his brothers had given him a hard time at first when he refused to play their idiotic games, but he merely sent a glare in their direction many times before they took the hint to quit teasing him. It wasn't that Brick thought their games were boring, he just thought they were very demeaning to his IQ level.

By the time Brick had reached fifteen, people began to fear Brick's "newfound" (though it was not newfound. Rather it had been _hidden_ ) knowledge. They knew that he was smart and a keen enemy was never a good thing. People could deal with brute strength because, in the end, they could outwit brute strength. But when one had brute strength and intellect, it was a dangerous combination.

And when the red 'ruff had reached his current age, sixteen, he was probably the most feared Rowdyruff. Quiet, sharp, and a formidable fighter, he was practically the picture of everyone's worst fear. While Butch was the picture of death and Boomer was the picture of trouble, the picture of fear was far worse. Death allowed you to escape fears and problems while trouble could easily be solved, but _fear_ took awhile to get over. It could consume one and torture their minds until they broke down.

And that was one thing that Brick had to agree with Franklin D. Roosevelt - _the only thing we have to fear is fear itself_.

 

* * *

 

 

Blossom lay awake, also thinking about her own fears. Though she knew it was pointless to obsess over the fact that in less twenty-four hours the girls would be planning, she couldn't help but worry. She listened to the soft breathing of her two snoring sisters and hoped that everything would turn out okay. She also hoped that she not forget something important during this upcoming war against Mojo and his boys.

 

* * *

 

 

"How's it going, bro?"

Boomer grunted his response as Butch sat down next to him. The blonde 'ruff was too busy playing his video game to truly comprehend what his brother had just asked him and grunted. It was the universal response when one's mind was wrapped around the fact that one was so close to the final level that one wasn't going to stop playing the game until it was completed! That was probably the only reason why Boomer was constantly on the game. He was close to being done.

Butch rolled his eyes, however. He half wished that Brick was with them instead of with Mojo. At least then he could get a conversation going…even if the red 'ruff hardly held a conversation with him anyway. And that caused Butch to roll his eyes again. Brick thought he was too high and mighty to speak with his 'stupid' brothers. The green 'ruff knew that he didn't know half the stuff that Brick knew, but that didn't mean he was some stupid monkey.

"Why are you laughing, Butch?" Boomer asked absentmindedly, still completely focused on his game.

Damn! He was laughing out loud? "No reason."

"Laughing for no reason can be considered a sign of insanity," a new voice mocked, causing Butch to frown. "Right alongside talking to yourself. But then again, you already do that, Butch."

"Shut up, Brick," growled the green 'ruff as his brother came into view. But the red-clad Rowdyruff wasn't by himself. He had Mojo with him and the primate did not looked pleased (but when was the last time Mojo looked pleased with anything?). The ape's face was twisted into a scowl when he noticed that Boomer was not paying attention at all. Breaking the rising temper of their creator, Butch asked, "What's up?"

"We have another rebellion somewhere in Chile," Brick answered. "We need to get going."

Butch smirked. "No problem."

He had been itching to beat the crap out of something, but because of the silence from most of the humans, he hadn't been able to do much besides beat up on an already trashed punching bag that was falling apart. Where was the fun in that? So, this little mission to get rid of another rebellion down in South America was just exactly what the doctor ordered.

He stood up and turned to Boomer, who apparently didn't acknowledge the fact that Brick had just ordered them to leave. He turned to Brick and notice the scowl forming on his brother's face. Rolling his eyes, he said, "C'mon, blondie, we gotta go."

"Yeah, hold on," muttered the blue 'ruff, still hypnotized by the bright flashing colors of the video game. He remained that way for another thirty seconds before the television screen went black. He blinked and then noticed that Mojo was standing beside the television, the plug in his hands. He looked back at the TV screen, taking in what just happened, before he burst out, " _NO_! I WAS ON THE LAST LEVEL! I WAS ABOUT TO _WIN_!"

"You'll learn to live," Brick sighed, exasperated. "Come _on,_ Boomer."

"But…but…" Boomer whined and then turned Mojo, pointing a finger at the irritated primate. "YOU HATE ME, DON'T YOU!"

The Monkey King remained calm before he shouted above the roar of the blue 'ruff. "Get going, you idiot!"

"Psh, _whatever_ , hater," growled Boomer as he and his brothers took off into the skies, heading in the direction of Chile. All the while, Mojo could still faintly hear the blonde complaining and whining about how that had been the _last_ level of the game and he had just been about to win. The monkey rolled rubbed his temples and began his own complaining and whining about teenage boys.

 

* * *

 

 

Buttercup growled in irritation over the noise of an irritating beeping. She opened up her eyes and looked around for an alarm clock, but found none. It had been two days since her sisters had met up with each other and they had moved to the base in the United States. Each girl had settled into their own room and now here Buttercup was, being awoken by some shrill beeping.

They had easily gone from one country to another by a shuttle system set up in the underground earth of the planet. It went everywhere around the world and even underwater. Blossom, at the time, had been severely impressed by the system, but immediately suggested some pointers that she noticed when she settled into the shuttle. Bubbles, on the other hand, was not pleased to be traveling at high speeds from one country to another. Buttercup just loved it.

Jumping out of her bed, she rushed outside of the room to find Bubbles standing around with a confused look on her face. Blossom was also next to her, her lips pursed together, and brows knit in concentration. Coming out of the room, she asked, "What's going on?"

Her two sisters shrugged. It was at that moment that Ms. Bellum rushed down the hallway. She didn't get too far because Bubbles gently grabbed on to the woman's arm and asked, "What's going on? What's with the shrill beeping?"

"There's a report that the boys have left Townsville Hall," Ms. Bellum explained quickly as her eyes examined the three girls before her. "And we have reason to believe that they're heading down towards South America. Chile, to be exact."

Blossom's eyes narrowed. "As in they won't be back for awhile?"

Ms. Bellum nodded while Buttercup also narrowed her eyes in Blossom's direction. Raising an eyebrow, the dark-haired girl inquired slowly, "What are you thinking about, Red? You have something in mind, don't you? You only get like that when you have an idea."

The redheaded teenage girl nodded curtly. "Yeah, I do."

She left the three females behind as she quickly went through the halls of the base. She was focused on the fact that she needed to get to the computer room. Buttercup was right when she said that she had an idea. Blossom had remembered one important thing that Ms. Bellum had said to her a couple of days and that had sprung the idea.

Ms. Bellum had told her that Brick was a hard one to get by when it came to using technology in the base. With Brick gone and heading to Chile, he would not be able to detect Blossom hacking into their computer because he wouldn't be near a computer. Thus, making it easier for her to hack into Mojo's computers and analyze Townsville Halls.

When she entered the computer room, she turned on the computers and place a headset on that allowed her to communicate with the others in the conference room of the base. Sitting down, she began typing furiously and said into the communicator, "How long do I have until he comes back?"

"At least fifteen minutes," came Buttercup's voice.

"Apparently they work fast." Bubbles' voice paused briefly. "Do you think that fifteen minutes is going to be enough time for you to do whatever it is you're going to do?"

Blossom allowed a smirk. "That'll be plenty of time."

She began working, her pink eyes intensely watching the screen. She had began analyzing the codes in front of her and broken through five password-protected folders already. She began to have some difficulty when she came to the layout of Townsville Hall because Brick had set up some protective firewalls and Blossom almost had a hard time disabling them. She glanced up briefly at the clock and noticed it was frozen in place. Shaking her head, she asked, "Time check?"

"You have approximately ten minutes," answered Bubbles. "I'm watching what they're doing."

This statement caused Blossom to freeze momentarily with her work. She was watching them fight? Meaning they had broken into a satellite feed and were watching it at this moment? They were watching the boys fight? That meant… "Are you recording their fight?"

"Don't worry, Leader Girl, I'm one step ahead of you," Buttercup answered proudly, happy at the fact that she had thought of something Blossom, herself, would have thought of had she been in the room. On the other side of the communicator, Blossom sighed in relief. That solved another problem. Without even knowing it, the boys were already helping the girls win the fight against Mojo.

She shook her head, lecturing herself mentally for letting herself get distracted and not focus on the task at hand. She quickly printed out a layout of Townsville Hall before she also saved the layout on her computer. Backing out of that archive in their computer, she quickly typed in a code to start a diagnostic test on the place. She waited impatiently as the diagnostics test was run. Figuring it would be best to do something productive, she minimized that portion and began working on analyzing their servant ranks. Once she got a complete copy of the servant ranks, she printed it out. It may not seem like much, but it was something that Blossom felt would help.

About halfway through the diagnostics test, Blossom began searching for the schedule of Mojo and his contacts. She knew she was getting deep into the database of Mojo's computers, but it was something she had to do. As soon as she completed printing out the schedule and contacts, Bubbles' frantic voice broke into the communicator, "Blossom, get out of there! The boys finished earlier than expected and are due to arrive back at the palace any moment!"

Her eyes widen as she pulled herself out of Mojo's database and began resetting the firewalls that she had broken through. She quickly maximized the window that had her running the diagnostics test and noticed that it wasn't complete. She only had three percent more to go and she was beginning to get nervous. When she noticed that was at the pre-stages of panic, she closed her eyes and quickly calmed herself down. She opened her eyes and checked the screen as Bubbles squealed, "They're, like, two seconds away!"

"I'm done, don't worry," Blossom answered calmly as she closed off the window once it was completely done and set up the last firewall once more. She pulled out of the computers from Townsville Hall and erased any trace back to their computer and evidence that she had been there. She sent the diagnostics to the conference room and then quickly shut off the computer before Brick could detect where they were hiding out or the fact that she had just hacked into the computer. Hopefully, he wouldn't notice anything was off.

 

* * *

 

 

Unfortunately for Blossom, Brick _did_ notice something was off. It wasn't completely noticeable. In fact, it was a very small mistake that only a complete computer genius would notice. Why? Because Mojo, Butch, and Boomer didn't notice anything was off. But Brick did. He didn't say anything for fear of being called paranoid, but it was still there.

When they had come back from Chile, Brick had checked the computer systems as usual and went through most of the computer archives. Most the computer seemed untouched until he came to a digital diagram of Townsville Hall that Boomer had created. It wasn't that the diagram seemed corrupt. In fact, it didn't seemed bothered, but it was the _firewall_ surrounding it. It was _newer_ than the one he placed a year ago. The firewall that surrounded the diagram was new and he didn't place that firewall up.

He tried tracing the person that had potentially hacked into the computers, but couldn't find a trace or history of anyone being on the computer or hacking into the computer. Brick frowned. That didn't mean anything though. Someone good enough could erase their tracks. And this person was good, Brick thought. He had a slight amount of respect to the person who broke into his computer, but was irritated at the fact someone had broken into _his_ computer system.

Now, he knew if he said anything to his brothers or creator they would laugh at him and call him crazy. So, he said nothing to them, but promised to himself that he would keep a closer eye on the computer more often. Maybe perhaps find a monitor to take over watching the computer when Brick was busy.

Just keeping a close eye on it might catch the culprit.

 

* * *

 

 

Blossom frowned as she stared at the holographic diagram she had downloaded off of Mojo's computer. Their defense system seemed weaker than she had thought it would be. She always thought Mojo was a paranoid primate that would do anything to keep himself protected, but she also knew something else. He was arrogant and had probably felt that he didn't need as much protection because of the Rowdyruff Boys. That his flaw and _their_ advantage. Of course, the girls would have to take out the Rowdyruffs, but that could be easily accomplished…once she got a plan going. Or at least get the girls to agree to the plan she had already formulated.

"Blossom?" came Bubbles' soft voice. The leader of the trio glanced towards the entrance of the conference room and found her sisters in their sleep attire. Buttercup was yawning and Bubbles looked exhausted herself. The two girls entered the room and the blonde remarked, "You probably should head to bed."

Blossom shook her head. "No. Not when I have a plan buzzing around in my head."

There was silence between the three girls as Bubbles and Buttercup sat down. Blossom looked down at the pile papers in her hands as her sisters stared at the hologram. Buttercup turned her gaze to Blossom and murmured, barely loud enough for anyone to hear, "Well, let's hear it then. This great plan of yours."

Blossom nodded. She turned the pile of papers towards her sisters and pushed it towards them. They looked over it before they looked at their sister, confused. Smiling, the redhead explained, "This is a list of missing slave girls."

" _Okay_ …" Bubbles said. "What does a bunch of missing slave girls –"

"Who are five," interjected Buttercup. "Which _we're_ not."

"– have to do with us and your plan?"

"Everything," Blossom replied quickly and flipped to a couple of pages that had some names highlighted. Her two sisters still looked lost. "These girls disappeared eleven and half years ago. Meaning, no one is probably going to find them. Meaning we can assume their identity and use them to break into the building. If we use it, we can disguise ourselves and somehow weasel our way into the palace."

Realization dawned upon Buttercup and Bubbles' faces and smiles grew on their faces. Blossom continued, "Bubbles, you're Amber Smith ("Oh how _cute_!")…Buttercup, you're Brittany Wilson ("Okay, wait, _Brittany_? C'mon, Leader Girl! _Brittany_?")…and I'm Cammy Anderson. These are your new identities from now. Be careful not to slip up.

"Now, I've noticed Mojo has a hierarchy of humans. Some humans he let go free because of their money and uses them to sponsor him (though, really, he doesn't need money). Others are doctors or skilled employees, which he allows to go free in order to treat him and the boys in case he gets sick or fix things. Then he has the palace servants, who are valued higher than the regular slaves. Our girls, though technically regular slaves, have just been classified as palace servants. Understand?"

Buttercup nodded seriously as Bubbles giggled. Both green and pink clad girls looked at their blonde sister strangely. Noticing their looks, she giggled even more and said, "I'm sorry. I just thought of something. When you said the names, the beginning of the names were ABC! I just thought that was hilarious!"

The toughest fighter in the group actually smirked and looked at her redheaded sister. "Operation ABC? Funny."

Blossom shrugged. "Sure. Operation ABC."

"Awesome!" Bubbles cheered. "Let's do it!"


	6. Interception

Operation ABC had only been in effect for about a week and the girls were still nowhere closer than they were prior to the creation of Blossom's plan. It wasn't that they couldn't find a way in. It was the mere fact that Blossom wasn't ready to send her sisters into Mojo's palace just yet. She wanted to be prepared. She wanted to take things slowly and carefully. She didn't want to be caught off guard or thrown for a loop. She was preparing herself mentally and physically for when she and her sisters were sent into the palace.

Buttercup had complained most of the time, though. She wanted action. She wanted to pulverize her counterpart for besting her. She wanted to finally go into the palace and teach the monkey loser a thing or two before she knocked him off his high throne. And although she had forgiven Blossom and, in turn, started talking to her sister despite the promise she had made when she was five, she was still upset with her redheaded sister's delays.

Bubbles couldn't really care _when_ they went in. In fact, the longer, the better in her opinion. She wasn't going to say she was a coward, but she _was_ going to say that she was scared. Not just for herself but for her sisters as well. She didn't want to be beaten up like the last time the girls had encountered the Rowdyruff Boys. So, despite Buttercup's complaints, Bubbles encouraged Blossom to be extra careful.

And while Blossom planned and schemed and perfected, she sent her sisters out to train with each other. To pick up skills that they had not perfected or were having trouble with. The masters (who she contacted through a video link to Japan) did not disagree with Blossom. In fact, they were pleased one girl in the trio had them train. They were pleased someone was responsible enough to do something about the training issue.

After the first week of Operation ABC not being in effect, the professor was starting to get antsy. He wanted something to be done and soon. He asked Blossom what was the problem and Buttercup felt torn between two. She agreed with the professor in his assessment that Blossom was taking too long, but felt like biting the professor's head off (figuratively speaking, of course) for being harsh with her sister.

Ms. Bellum and Ms. Keane were also wondering how long the girls were going to take. Although they were not as forthright as the Professor was, they still gently pushed on what could be causing the delay. At first, both women thought it was because the boys intimidated the girls. And not in the sense of fighting, but rather in the sense that the Rowdyruff Boys were, in fact, part of the opposite sex. This caused a ( _disturbing_ , in Buttercup's opinion) conversation about the 'birds and the bees'.

Bubbles fainted at the conversation and Buttercup constantly gagged.

Blossom, however, was not bothered by anyone's pushing nor was she bothered by the conversation. Instead, she smiled lightly and reassured the two women that everything was fine and her plan was going to go off flawlessly. When the two women didn't believe her, the redheaded girl also insisted that Operation ABC was going to begin soon enough. It was then that her tone had changed into a dangerous murmur when she warned for everyone to stop pushing her.

Nobody pushed Blossom again.

And they all had good reason to not push Blossom. One reason being that despite her mostly calm exterior, Blossom had a fierce temper. And not only that, but she had the intelligence to make her temper even more formidable. And the other reason being was that she spent a lot of time in Taro's council (via video link). She wanted to be absolutely sure she had everything done before she made her move. She knew Brick was a tricky one.

One evening, she called her sisters into the protected conference room. The raven-haired girl and her blonde sister sat down, confused, as they watched their redheaded leader warily. They had not bothered her in about a week and wondered what was going on. It had been three weeks since they came up with Operation ABC and now Blossom was ready to share what had been going on in her head. This caused Buttercup to sit up. She was excited that Blossom was going to finally give orders.

But she didn't give orders. Rather, she pressed a button on a remote and a television appeared behind a wall. The two girls exchanged glances as Blossom smiled softly and handed them a sheet of paper and a pen. They took the two objects as Blossom pressed a button and a movie of the Rowdyruff Boys appeared. She turned to her sisters and merely mumbled, "Study them. Take notes."

And so the three girls spent hours in the conference room studying the moves of the Rowdyruff Boys and taking notes on them. It had been three in the morning when the girls retired to their bedrooms to get a good night's rest. Unfortunately, however, Blossom was an early riser no matter what time she went to sleep and awoke the girls at eight in the morning for a light breakfast.

When breakfast had been finished, she lightly shoved her sisters to the training room and began preparing them for the Rowdyruff Boys. Blossom ran exercises with them until the girls' bodies had hurt and when that happened, she pushed them even further. Blossom spent most of her time with her teacher coming up with a training regimen. Apparently, she had already studied the tapes.

This went on for about another week until finally a month had completely passed. It had now been officially eleven years and eight months since the girls first made their mistake. And it was on the first day of the new month that Blossom had announced that the girls had to prepare for the upcoming battles. She called them into her room and when they got there, they found Blossom sitting on her knees with things all around her. They raised an eyebrow each and Blossom smiled. "We need to prepare."

"Prepare?" Bubbles asked and her sister nodded.

She gracefully got up from her sitting position and walked over to her two sisters. Looking at them squarely in the eyes, she said softly, "We need to arrange this room so we can easily operate. We also need to start preparing our disguises. We can't waltz into Mojo's palace looking like this. The Rowdyruff Boys think we're dead, so that's an advantage. I personally would like to keep that advantage."

"So…" Buttercup's voice trailed off, "…no superpowers. We're practically human."

There was a moment of silence before the leader nodded slowly. Sighing heavily, Buttercup agreed to get started and Bubbles merrily chirped that she wanted to set up some things on 'her' side of the room. As they set up the room respectively so the girls each had their space and their personal equipment set up, Bubbles turned around and slowly said, "Girls…in about a month is our birthday."

Both Blossom and Buttercup stopped what they were doing. They hadn't remembered the last time they celebrated their birthday. They didn't even remember that their birthday was going coming up. They had completely forgotten everything and lost track of the time. Sure, they knew what month it was, but they hadn't exactly been counting down the days to their birthday because they were so focused on the Rowdyruff Boys.

Buttercup had been the first to recover because she quickly retorted, "So?"

"Well…we're turning seventeen and we finally have people to celebrate it with…" Bubbles' voice trailed off. She got a lost look on her face before she mumbled, "…and I seen what birthdays look like on TV. And remember when we got presents on the first day of our birth? Maybe…I don't know…we can celebrate it?"

Blossom frowned in thought. Bubbles may be turning seventeen, but she was still somewhat a child at heart. Although it wasn't a bad thing because it carried the innocence that most teenagers lost in this stage of their lives, it was still something that caught Blossom off guard. Before she could say anything, the green-eyed sister of the girls countered, "And? We can't have those TV celebrations! Someone is bound to notice something!"

Bubbles' shoulder's slumped and Blossom felt somewhat bad for her. She knew that the blonde was trying to reconnect her sisters with the people of Earth, but the approach she was going by was risky. She knew that she wanted an actual birthday, but it wasn't something anyone could give or do. Her pink eyes flashed over to her sister one more time before she said, "Well…maybe some _small_ celebration. Like a break from everything on that day."

Bubbles' face light up and she threw her arms around her sister. "Thank you, Blossom!"

Blossom smiled and hugged her sister back. "Nothing too big, though."

"Okay!" sighed the blonde, "I promise!"

There was silence between the girls before Blossom placed a hand on her sister's shoulders and whispered a promise to her, "When we get out of this and put Mojo behind bars, for our next birthday, we'll have a _big_ celebration."

The blonde smiled and nodded her head. She glanced at Buttercup and the green girl merely gave a smile in response. That was enough for Bubbles to be happy. Satisfied, the three girls went back to working on the room and arranging it so things were a lot easier for the girls to work in.

 

* * *

 

 

It had been two months since the break-in of his computer and about eight months since the deaths of those girls that Mojo had feared for the longest time. And nothing had happened since. It had fallen into the same lull that the boys were used to since before they destroyed those girls – minus the fact that the girls were no longer hanging over them.

And it irritated both Butch and Brick.

Butch was irritated because there was no real action anymore. There was nothing to do and Butch was beginning to become extremely violent. Not even the presence of human girls occupied him anymore. He constantly picked on Boomer and tried to egg a fight out of Brick, but neither rose to his challenges. Boomer was so focused on that damn game of his and Brick brushed him off constantly. It pissed Butch off that Brick had that 'I'm-better-than-you' attitude.

Brick was irritated because he wanted someone to try and hack into his computer once more so he could trace them. But whoever hacked into his computer didn't make another move. Whoever hacked into his computer was either done or was buying time. Either that or they knew they almost gotten caught and wasn't going to risk anything. Whatever it was, Brick was pissed because he didn't have someone in custody.

"Brick," Boomer broke through his thoughts one day. The redheaded ruff glanced briefly at his brother before the blonde sighed heavily. "Brick, Mojo wants you."

Brick felt a growl in the back of his throat as he pushed himself away from the computer he was sitting in front of and went towards Mojo's office. The palace was in a frenzy because in three months there would be a big celebration. Mojo had invited the all the regional lords to his palace and any extremely wealthy humans that had found special favor in Mojo's graces.

When he got to the office, he barged in and found Mojo glancing over the plans that he had a Wayne, his personal servant, make. He nodded in approval before he dismissed Wayne. That's when he noticed Brick standing before him. "Ah, my son. Yes, I need you to do something for me."

"What?" drawled the red ruff, completely bothered at the fact he was there. Mojo held up a small disk and waved it to indicate that Brick should take it from his hands. Brick sneered, hating when Mojo did small things like that. He felt inferior when the Monkey King did that and Brick _hated_ feeling inferior to _anyone_.

He gruffly took the disk as Mojo explained, "I need you to send this to Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching. Do it now and _don't_ delay."

Again, Brick scowled and turned on his heel to leave when Mojo called after him, "You and your brothers better find escorts for the gala. It's in three months. It'll be on New Year's Eve! I give you until that time to find someone to keep you company."

"Whatever," Brick muttered as he left the office and headed back to the lounge room. He found Boomer playing his game again and Butch tossing some light punches at a punching bag. Both boys noticed the annoyance on Brick's face and didn't say anything to him. The knew better to leave him alone. As the red 'ruff sat down at his computer and inserted the disk, he abruptly muttered, "Find dates for the gala. Mojo's orders."

"Easy as pie," Butch smirked as he went back to punching and Boomer nodded vaguely. Brick concentrated on sending the message to Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching and when he finished, he allowed himself a break and went over to where Boomer was sitting. He flicked Boomer's ears and the blonde flinched before he handed Brick the controller to the game.

 

* * *

 

 

"How does this look?" giggled Bubbles as put on a curly black-haired wig and turned away from the mirror she was in front of. Buttercup was the only one present in the room and glanced at her sister briefly. She shrugged. She was not having fun playing dress up – even if it _was_ for Operation ABC. " _Well_?"

"It's fine," Buttercup sighed and then scrunched up her nose, her face twisting into a look of disgust. "But I wish Blossom wouldn't put that stuff in her hair. Besides, she's going to screw up her hair. It's going to come out darker when she lets her hair grow back. It's not going to be bright orange anymore."

"That's fine with me. I don't like bright orange anymore," Blossom's voice said calmly as she stepped out from her bathroom. Both girls turned to look at their sister and their jaws dropped. Blossom no longer looked like Blossom. Her hair was dyed a soft auburn and her eyes no longer were pink. They were now hazel (contacts, of course). Smiling at them, she said, "Hi, I'm Cammy Anderson. Nice to meet you."

There were two reactions. One reaction was Bubbles, who squealed, "Blossom! You're so pretty! Not that you weren't pretty before, but that hair color looks good on you! You totally don't look like yourself!"

And the other was Buttercup's, who snorted, "What a generic name. Couldn't come up with anything else, eh, Leader Girl?"

Blossom ignored them both and quickly turned the tables on them when she said, "What are your disguises? What do you plan on looking like so I know who you are."

Both girls stood up as Buttercup threw on a wig that had long, scarlet hair. She didn't necessarily look Irish, but she figured it would fit better with her green eyes. Buttercup had a problem with contacts and couldn't get her eyes to focus with them on. So, in turn, she just found a wig that would match with her eyes. Blossom nodded in approval for Buttercup's look.

Bubbles put on her wig. It was a shoulder length wig that had curly black hair. She kept her blue eyes despite the protests of Buttercup and Blossom that most people with black hair didn't necessarily have blue eyes. Bubbles had quickly objected that most girls with black hair didn't exactly have green eyes either and that shut Buttercup up real quick, but Blossom still wasn't convinced. Still, she knew that Bubbles wasn't going to give in and smiled at the girl, regardless.

"Okay, now that we have the disguises," Buttercup interjected once Blossom approved of Bubbles' outfit. "What are we going to use them for? How are we going to get in and break the Rowdyruff Boys?"

Blossom sat down. "Getting in is the easy part. We will plan three separate meetings with the boys, meaning we will have to figure out where they like to hang around. All you guys have to do is catch their eye. The hard part will be keeping their attention."

"Leave it to us, Blossom," Bubbles smiled. "We won't let you down."

"Yeah." Buttercup nodded. "So don't stress, Leader Girl."

 

* * *

 

 

" _What do you mean you didn't help Ojo Tango_!" screeched Mojo. The boys merely rolled their eyes as Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching stumbled over his excuses via conference call. Apparently, the disk contained a message that Mojo had ordered Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching to help Ojo Tango with some of the revolt problems that the regional lord was having. However, the result was different. Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching never went to help.

"Mojo!" Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching pleaded desperately over the speakerphone, "Your message told me _not_ to help him! I merely followed your orders! How can you be angry with me when I was only following your orders?"

"I DID NOT ORDER YOU TO DO THAT! I DID NOT ORDER YOU TO STAND DOWN!" yelled the Monkey King furiously. He could figure out why this subordinate was saying and blaming his mistake on him, but Mojo would not have it. "I ORDERED YOU TO _HELP_ OJO TANGO, YOU MISCREANT!"

Brick rolled his eyes at that. Oh, the irony of that one sentence. Mojo called Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching a _miscreant_ – as in a villain – when Mojo, in fact, was a miscreant himself. And then on top of that Mojo was asking a villain to _help_ another villain. There was so much irony in that one sentence, it practically screamed _IRONY_ to the world.

"My lord –" Okay, now Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching was just sucking up to Mojo. "– the message _did_ say for you to stand down."

"You better hope you're telling the truth," Mojo said in perfect imitation of Brick as he hung up on the stuttering and panicking regional lord. He turned his eyes on the Rowdyruff Boys and growled, "Find out if he's telling the truth. If he isn't, you know what to do with him."

The boys smirked and walked out of the room. As they did, Mojo contemplated the possibility of someone intercepting the message and changing it. He didn't know if that was a truth, but he would have to what until the boys returned with the news. Either way, though, Mojo Jojo did not like the idea of someone messing with his messages.

 

* * *

 

 

" _Happy Birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday, dear Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup! Happy birthday to you!_ Make a wish!" Everyone cheered as the three girls sat in front of three, small separate cakes – each cake the respective color of each girl. They had surprised the girls in the afternoon that they had made cakes for the girls and had decorated the conference room with decorations. Blossom, at first, refused, but gave in when everyone looked at her pleadingly.

As the girls closed their eyes and made a wish before they blew out their candles, John turned to Ms. Bellum and quietly murmured, "Did you intercept the message that Mojo sent and changed it?"

Ms. Bellum nodded and whispered, "No need to tell the girls yet, though. Let them have their fun first. It _is_ their birthday. Their first birthday they've celebrated and I don't want to ruin it with this news."

John nodded in agreement and turned back to the party. Bubbles was excitedly telling everyone that she hoped her wish came true and Buttercup was dropping sly hints of her wish to the Professor (who she hadn't completely forgiven, but decided that it would be better if she didn't cause anymore trouble). And while her sisters talked animatedly, Blossom reflected quietly over her wish. A simple wish.

_That everything went according to plan._

But nothing went according to plan…ever.


	7. Amber

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "ABC" rightfully belongs to the Jackson 5/Michael Jackson. Please take note that when the girls are in their disguises, I may refer to them by their aliases.

"Well, Boomer?"

"The encryption code has been changed."

"What does that mean?"

"I means, idiot, that the message as been tampered with," Boomer replied as he shot a look at Butch. The green 'ruff flipped him off and grumbled something underneath his breath that sounded strangely like a death threat for calling him an idiot. It wasn't Butch's fault that he wasn't a computer whiz like Boomer and Brick. He was the ammunition expert. He dealt with weapons. Not designs or computers.

Brick, who was standing behind his two brothers, frowned. So Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching _had_ told the truth. When he read the message, it _did_ say for him to not go aid Ojo Tango. And on top of that, someone had hacked into the computer and changed the message. Meaning someone was smart enough to not hack into his computer, but rather another. Shaking his head, he muttered, "Damn it."

"What do we do?" Boomer asked seriously as he turned to his brothers. Butch shrugged, not having a clue while Brick contemplated. And while the green and red 'ruffs were silent, the blue 'ruff turned around. "I tried tracing it, but there's hardly anything to trace. There _is_ evidence it had been intercepted, but I can't pinpoint _where_ the interception took place."

"This isn't the first time this happened," Brick explained suddenly causing his two brothers to glance at him, perplexed. He snapped his red eyes over to his blonde brother. "Someone hacked into our computers and they downloaded the design template of the palace that you created, Boomer."

Boomer raised an eyebrow. "Why would they take that?"

"I don't know," Brick admitted. He crossed his arms over his chest and walked away from the computer. Butch followed his brother and Boomer quickly signed off before he went in pursuit of the other two. As they walked towards Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching, each remained in their own silence. When they reached the regional lord, the redheaded leader said, "Someone did change it. You're lucky."

"'Cause if it hadn't been changed…" Boomer continued solemnly and let his voice trailed off. His blue eyes turned to Butch, who slashed a finger across his throat. Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching paled considerably at the sinister and almost psychotic smile of Butch. He nodded weakly and the three boys took off into the sky, leaving a broken ceiling in their wake.

 

* * *

 

 

" _ABC, easy as 1,2,3, as simple as do, re, mi…_ " Bubbles hummed as she skipped throughout the base. It was the eve of Operation ABC and the girls were doing their last minute preparations. Tomorrow would be the day that Bubbles would have to go out and try and catch Boomer's attention. Apparently, there was a garden party the next day and Blossom sneaked Bubbles' alias name into the servant roster that would be serving at the party. This gave Bubbles a way into the garden party.

" _Come on, come on, come on, let me show you what it's all about…_ " she continued to sing as she reached her room. She was trying to relax herself. It wasn't that she was nervous because she had to sneak into the palace or anything. No, her mission was simple: catch Boomer's attention. But it was the mere fact that she had to go in front of the very boy that beat her up that scared her.

And…

…Not like she would admit this to her sisters, but she was nervous about trying to attract a member of the opposite sex. She hardly had any experience with boys. Actually, she had _no_ experience with boys and now she was being told to try and attract a boy! And she didn't want to ask for advice because of the talk that Ms. Bellum and Ms. Keane had held about the 'birds and the bees'. Poor Bubbles had been fooled because she thought, at first, the conversation really _would_ be about birds and bees, but it wasn't…which made her faint.

However, something did help her. She overheard Buttercup asking Blossom about how she was supposed to attract a guy she hardly knew and Blossom could only safely say that it would come naturally. But she didn't really know for sure. That comforted Bubbles in two ways. The first way being that maybe the idea of how to attract Boomer would come naturally, and she wouldn't really have to stress. The second way being that even _Blossom_ had no idea what to do. That made her feel like she wasn't completely incompetent.

"… _Singing simple melodies. 1,2,3, baby, you and me_!" Bubbles finished as she collapsed into her sister's room. There, she found Blossom reading a book entitled _Mastering the Art of War_ by Zhuge Liang. Also next to her she found a couple more books ( _Analects_ by Confucius, _The Art of War_ by Sun Tzu and _Japanese Art of War_ by Thomas Cleary). Bubbles supposed that these books would help Blossom. Of course, she admitted to herself, one would never find Bubbles reading those books.

Buttercup also walked in at that moment and glanced at the book that Blossom was reading. Raising an eyebrow, she asked quickly, "Hey, isn't that Zhuge Liang dude in a video game? What was it called…? Dynasty Warriors or something like that?"

"Yes," Blossom nodded, but never taking her gaze away from her book. "But the game, Dynasty Warriors, is based off of actual events that occurred in China during the fall of the Han Dynasty. It's also based off the books _The Romance of the Three Kingdoms_ , which explains everything about the three kingdoms of Wu, Shu, and Wei. Zhuge Liang, or famously referred to as the Sleeping Dragon, was a legendary strategist for the Kingdom of Shu."

"Uh huh," Buttercup nodded slowly, clearing not interested in the historical significance of the video game. She also felt like telling her sister she wanted a yes or no answer and not a history lesson. "But why are you reading that?"

Blossom flipped a page. "I need to get into the mindset of a strategist. Reading their books will help me."

The green-eyed girl shrugged. "Whatever."

 

* * *

 

 

 **You are cordially invited to  
** _The Monkey King's Garden Party  
_ **In honor of**  
 _All the kings_ true _supporters_

 

Boomer grumbled as he fiddled with the collar of his shirt. He hated doing things like this. He really hated garden parties. And it wasn't really a garden party when one thought of it. It was more like a warning to the very few free humans who supported Mojo financially or some other way. It was to show that Mojo was still in complete power and any dissenters would be dealt with swiftly.

But that wasn't what bugged Boomer. He absolutely _hated_ dressing up for these things and he absolutely _hated_ having to deal with all these people. It wasn't like he didn't like partying…it was more like he hated sitting around stuffy old people talking about how much more financially superior they are to someone else. It got irritating real quick. He liked fun. He liked freedom. Trouble, mayhem…whatever. _Anything_ but this.

His eyes wandered around and he furrowed his eyebrows when he noticed a rabbit off to the side. He smiled slightly (not enough to be caught). He had always loved animals. Of course, he never said anything to his brothers because he could practically picture them making fun of him for it, but he couldn't help it! He knew that if he wasn't in league with Mojo, he'd probably be helping some poor defenseless creature right now. Either that or wrestling with alligators. Kind of like the adventurers one saw on the Discovery Channel or Animal Planet (which, again, he watched in secret because of his brothers).

As his sapphire eyes watched the rabbit with some amusement in his eyes, he felt someone squeeze his arm slightly. He glanced down, a frown replacing his slight smile, wondering who dared interrupted his peaceful time. It was Gertrude Avonline, his date. "What are you staring at, Boomer?"

"Nothing," He said sharply and turned away from Gertrude and the rabbit. The blonde girl merely frowned and continued listening as her father spoke to another billionaire, Mr. Morebucks. Boomer looked at her at the corner of his eyes and rolled his eyes. He hated forced dates even more than he hated dressing up for stuffy parties.

 

* * *

 

 

Outside the servants' entrance into the kitchens, Bubbles looked on nervously. She really didn't want to do this. She was so nervous and scared she was going to mess up, but she couldn't help it! And then to make things worse, everyone had told her she _had_ to go. No 'ands', 'ifs' or 'buts'… _at all_. She couldn't back out. She couldn't retreat. And she couldn't hide underneath the covers and make all the fear go away.

" _Okay, the party had started about half an hour ago. All you have to do is go in and catch Boomer's attention, but make sure Mojo or his brothers don't catch_ you," Blossom's voice came in on Bubbles' skin-colored earwig. " _No telling what they may do. You have until 1900 hours to complete this mission_."

"I have that long!" squeaked Bubbles and the color drained away from her face. She couldn't be in there for that long! She could try and caught Boomer's attention in 1900 hours! That was _way_ too long. She couldn't stay in that treacherous palace that long! She wouldn't last. She would give something away and all their hard work would be ruined! No! _No_! _NO_!

Buttercup sighed in her ear. " _Bubbles, that means you have until seven to complete your mission._ "

"Oh," sighed Bubbles. The panic slipped away from her body immediately. That meant she had until seven in the evening to get things done and over with. Not 1900 hours. That made things a whole lot better. "Why didn't you just say so?"

" _Just go_!" Blossom and Buttercup pressed in unison. The blonde (now with a black haired wig on her head) nodded and moved her legs forward as she heard muffled bickering in her ears from her two sisters. She knew that was going to get annoying real quick, but knew that she would have to ignore the girls lest she blow her cover.

When she reached the entrance to the kitchens, a guard stopped her and asked, "Name?"

"Um…Amber Smith?" She mumbled, intimidated by the sheer size of the guard. She watched the guard as he checked for her name on the list. All she kept thinking was how easily the man could snap her in half. Luckily, she thought to herself, she had superpowers to keep her strong, but it didn't make her appear as intimidating as this man before her!

She was broken out of her thoughts when the man motioned for her to go in and head straight down. She did as she was told and walked all the way down the hall until she reached a room where a bunch of servants were waiting for something. Amber (as her training demanded) looked around for anything that would be useful and for potential escape routes should something go wrong.

"I can't do this," she whispered to herself.

" _Be strong, Bubbles,_ " Buttercup's encouraging voice whispered into her ear. She nodded, closed her eyes and collected all the strength she had. She opened her eyes and continued looking and examining the room. She knew she would have to do this for every room she was in and quickly taught herself ways to get out and potential weapons.

The thought of weapons made her hand fly to her thigh. Around her thigh was a small pouch of kunai knives, senbon needles, and shuriken. These small weapons were her pride and joy and her strength. Bubbles had tried to use other weapons, but either the weapon's size or her clumsy hands would not cooperate with each other. Bubbles knew that Blossom worked with sai. She also knew that using that weapon, a person needed a great amount of grace and flexibility. Bubbles had the flexibility, just not the grace. Buttercup used short staffs mostly and that weapon required a great amount of strength. And Bubbles wasn't a powerhouse like the her rough-around-the-edges sister.

So, the blue-clad girl picked the small projectile weapons. She knew that they were small, just like she was probably the smallest out of her sisters, but she was also the fastest. Bubbles had the speed to be able to shoot off these small weapons and she also had the accuracy. So far, in training, Bubbles had not missed a target when she threw her shuriken, senbon needles, or kunai knives. Actually, put any type of knife or needle and Bubbles could use it as a weapon.

And Bubbles also learned something good out of using senbon needles. She actually became very good with acupuncture and learned where she could strike certain points and is able to kill a person quickly or put in the deathlike appearance. And although Bubbles never used those techniques before, she still figured her acupuncture skills would be good to use for Blossom for her overwhelming stress to relax her.

"Alright, listen up everyone!" a voice called over the many servants. Everyone quieted down and Amber moved to a spot where she could see the owner of the voice. There, in the center front of the servants, was an elderly lady. She had her hands on her hips and her mouth was twisted into a frown. She had frown lines on her face and her salt-and-pepper hair was tied back into a very tight bun. "I want everyone's attention. Now, I am going to give you a uniform, a position, and then I want you to go to your jobs _quickly_. Today is important for His Majesty and I expect you all to do even better than your best. _Get moving_."

As the crowd pulled into a single file line, Amber made a quick mental note of who she probably would have to get around just in case. As everyone started talking again and noise filled the room, Amber whispered to her sisters back at the base, "Who was that?"

" _Probably the au pair…_ " answered Buttercup quickly.

" _No,_ " interrupted Blossom and Amber could practically see her sister shaking her head. " _Au pairs, I believe, are traditionally between the ages of seventeen and thirty. This woman sounds older. Am I right, Bubbles?_ "

"Yeah," whispered Bubbles as she moved up in the line. "She actually looks to be around her sixties."

" _Then she's probably the Head House Parlor-maid,_ " the redhead remarked. Amber furrowed her eyebrows. That meant this woman was probably pretty important and she probably was going to watch every servants moves while they were doing their job. That meant Amber was probably going to have to find a way around this woman if she was going to complete her mission.

When she reached the front of the line, the frowning woman handed her a uniform and merely said, "Waitress."

Amber nodded before she scurried off to get changed into her uniform. She knew that her being a waitress would probably much more easier for her because then she wouldn't have to figure out a way to meet Boomer. She was going to be up there serving food. Now all she had to do is think about what she was going to do to catch his attention. Blossom had said it would come naturally, but Amber wasn't a fool. She may be gullible sometimes, but she was _not_ stupid contrary to popular belief.

Once she changed into her uniform, she walked over and moved to the kitchens where she found cooks and kitchen maids bustling about. She frowned and wondered how Mojo managed to reduce the world back into older times when each maid had a position and a family could keep a maid on. But she also knew that Mojo controlled the world so he could have whatever he wanted. No matter how… _medieval_ it sounded.

"Here," said a cook gruffly as he handed a tray of food to Amber. Amber smiled and placed a tray on the counter before she quickly pulled her black hair (the wig she choose above all others) into a ponytail. She then grabbed the tray of food and followed other waiters and waitresses out to the gardens to serve the small snacks the cooks prepared.

When she got up to the gardens, her eyes scanned for a familiar head of blonde hair and sapphire blue eyes. She didn't see anyone at first and frowned, but kept moving nonetheless. She moved around, searching and examining each person's face. A couple of times, she nearly ran into Mojo, but narrowly escaped him each time.

" _Be careful, Bubbles_ ," warned Buttercup.

Amber knew she had to be careful. She was literally behind enemy lines. At any moment she could be caught, she knew, which was why she had her weapons underneath her uniform and already had fifteen escapes routes planned in her head. As she continued to look for Boomer, her eyes widened when she noticed Brick coming her way.

Her heart pounded and Amber, at first, was ready to get into a fight, but then she noticed his face. It was in no way hostile towards her. He looked like he was ready to hurt someone (the same look Blossom got on her face when she was irritated) and Amber knew she would have to play it cool. Looking down to the ground, she mumbled to him, "Snack, sir?"

"Yeah," Brick muttered angrily as he roughly grabbed some food off the tray. Amber had to admit that, although she was not stubborn like Buttercup nor prideful like Blossom, she didn't like addressing the Rowdyruff before her as ' _sir_ '. It irritated her, but her irritation was covered by fear.

" _Easy, Bubbles_ ," soothed Blossom in her ear. Amber wished somehow she could tell her sister that she was scared that she didn't want to be anywhere _near_ Brick. Because, if he was anything like Blossom, he was a very perspective Rowdyruff. " _Now that he's grabbed some food, walk away calmly. You panic, you'll only draw unwanted attention to yourself_."

Amber back away slowly, making sure to keep her breathing even before she threw herself into any anxiety attack. She made sure she held no eye contact with Brick and moved away slowly. As she backed away, she failed to notice that someone was behind her. She quickly crashed into the person behind her and tripped. Both Amber, the person behind her _and_ the food in her hand had quickly fallen to the ground.

"You stupid girl!" roared a female voice. Amber froze and glanced up. There, before her, was an auburn-haired girl with scowl on her face as she scrambled to sit up. Once she was on her feet, she quickly wiped off any remnants of food off of her yellow dress. "This was a designer label! Do you know how much this cost me!"

"I'm s-sorry!" the blonde (but wigged) girl stumbled over her words as she tried picking up the food that had fallen to the ground. Her blue eyes looked ready to tear up as she mumbled, "I'm really sorry…oh. What am I going to do now?"

As she hurried to pick up the food, she felt all eyes on her. Her face flushed, knowing that she was doing exactly what Blossom didn't want her to do. She knew that she was drawing unwanted attention unto herself and knew that she was going to have to pay the price for this in some form or another. And as she picked up the food, she noticed a pair of masculine hands helping her. She glanced up and her own blue eyes locked with deep sapphire eyes.

Boomer was sitting right in front of her.

She squeaked and when continued to pick up the food at even faster rate. He suddenly grabbed her hands and she looked up shyly at him. He smiled calmly and then snapped his fingers. Almost at once, a male servant appeared and Boomer quickly said, "Malcolm, why don't you clean this up. I am going to help Miss…"

"Amber," she supplied in a hushed whisper, confused at what was going on. She remained confused as Boomer helped her stand up. From behind, Brick rose an eyebrow and Boomer shot him a look. The blue 'ruff's eyes darted to Gertrude and back to his brother and that's when Brick understood. Boomer was helping this Amber as an excuse to get away from Gertrude.

Both counterparts rushed away from the scene of the crime as Malcolm had bent down to clean up the food and the party resumed its life. Boomer directed Amber further and further back until they reached a quiet spot in the gardens. Amber, as she was led away, almost thought that she had been found out, when Boomer asked, "Are you alright?"

At that same moment, Buttercup said in her ear, " _Make this situation work in your advantage_."

"What!" Amber responded to Buttercup's statement first before she realized that Boomer hadn't heard her sister. In fact, the boy was looking at her strangely because her sudden outburst and her face went a further shade of red than she already was. She must, she figured, look like an absolute fool to her counterpart.

"Are you okay?" Boomer asked slowly and Amber nodded quietly, looking down at her lap as she sat down on a fountain ledge. The blue 'ruff shook his head. "You're probably shaken up from that scenario just now, huh? Batty Brown get your nerves in a bundle?"

 _Batty Brown?_ She couldn't figure out who exactly Batty Brown was until she realized that this _Batty Brown_ was probably the Head House parlor-maid that Blossom was talking about and the one that had given Amber her waitress assignment. And although she knew Mrs. Brown didn't get her nerves in a bundle, she went with the excuse and nodded nimbly.

Boomer noticed her nod and immediately laughed. Amber, whose face had returned to normal up until this point, went red. She couldn't help but notice that Boomer had a nice laugh on him, but chose to ignore it. Instead, Boomer said, "Yeah. She has a tendency to do that. Butch and I make her mean on purpose just because she picks on us so much. Brick tells us not to, but Butch and I can't help it! It's too much fun!"

It was at that moment that Amber couldn't believe this was the same boy that had beaten her up and left her dead almost a year ago. He seemed like a completely different person. Almost like a normal teenage boy instead of a deadly super-villain under the very whim of the Monkey King. The blue 'ruff noticed her look and smirked, "What? Are you scared of me or something?"

He reached out his hand towards her and Amber immediately flinched. It wasn't like she meant to, but it was reflex. She was still scared from the last encounter she and her counterpart had. Boomer noticed the flinch and pulled back, frowning. She noticed his look and murmured, "Sorry. You just always seemed so… _scary_ to me."

Boomer nodded. "Yeah. My brothers and I get that a lot."

"Well can you blame anyone for thinking that?" Amber burst out and then gasped, realizing what she said. She covered her mouth and half expected Boomer to blow up on her. When he didn't, she blushed again and mumbled, "Sorry. Didn't mean to say that."

Her counterpart didn't say anything. Instead, he stared at her. He quietly searched her face and didn't say anything for the longest time. It was starting to make Amber uncomfortable when he said, "Have we met before?"

A series of red alerts went off in Amber's mind. And while she was panicking on the inside, she calmly said, "You might have seen me around the palace a couple times. Or some place else."

Boomer rose an eyebrow. "How come I don't remember seeing you before?"

Amber actually smiled, pleased she had a response to that question. "Probably because I've never crash landed on one of the guests before in front of you?"

The blonde 'ruff was silent for awhile and for a moment Amber felt that he had not believed her. They sat in a tense silence, both staring at each other. She felt ready to crack when he suddenly laughed out loud and said, "I like you! You're not like the others!"

Amber gave a small smile. "Thanks."

He stood up, now towering over her and offered his hand to her. She took it and he pulled her up until she was standing upright. He smiled down at her and said, "Listen, in about a couple of weeks, do you want to come over? I could get you out of your duties and you and I could just hang out."

"Are you sure?" Amber asked, playing the part that she was scared she'd get into trouble. Boomer nodded and then she let out a big smile. "Sure! I'll come along."

He smiled and then held up two fingers. "Two weeks."

She nodded. "Two weeks."

"I have to be going now. Gertrude is probably wondering what's keeping me and Batty Brown will get mad if you don't show up soon," he said slowly and his counterpart just smiled sadly. He pulled away from her and began walking away. As he walked away slowly, he glanced back at the smiling Amber before he rushed off.

And while Boomer thought Amber was coming over to hang out, she was already making plans of what she could do to help her sisters. And although Amber felt somewhat guilty about playing with a boy like the way she was doing, she knew that there was no way around it. She knew that her sisters and her agreed to this and they couldn't back out on their word now. Not when they have come so far.

Sighing heavily, she said to her sisters, "Phase A complete."


	8. Technology, Sabotaged!

"You know, Bubbles, you did really well."

Bubbles smiled slightly, not taking her eyes off the board. Across from her, Blossom also carried a soft, secretive smile. The smile, which graced her features often, would have been considered creepy if Bubbles wasn't used to it. The blue-clad girl would probably loose the game of chess they were engaging in, but she at least would have to try to win. As it was, Blossom was undefeated. Almost everyone had gone up against the redhead and lost to her. It was nearly impossible to claim victory over the leader of the three girls. After all, there was a reason for Blossom practically being the resident genius.

"Even in your own klutzy way," sighed the pink-eyed girl as she moved a piece closer. She tucked a small strand of hair behind her ear. "Well, the most important fact, I guess, is that you got in. That's all that matters. But good job anyway."

Bubbles flushed as she quickly pushed her rook forward. Blossom didn't even glance down as she moved her next piece forward, taking her sister's bishop in the process. It was almost unnerving on how calm the hot-tempered girl was. Then, to make it worse, she leaned back, gently clasped her hands together and kept the same secretive smile. "You really shouldn't allow me to distract you."

"What are you talking about?" blinked Bubbles as she glanced between her sister and the board.

Blossom merely glanced down at the board and grabbed hold of her queen and knocked over Bubbles' king in one swift movement. She went back into the position that she was in before she took her sister's piece. "Checkmate."

Bubbles examined the board and noticed that her most moveable pieces were gone. She only had about three pawns left. Blossom had won calmly and (practically) without her knowledge. At first, Bubbles didn't want to believe it and tried to find a way to win, but she couldn't. She sighed heavily and leaned back into the soft cushioning of the chair. "I admit defeat. Good game."

"Yes," Blossom murmured as she shifted to a more comfortable position in her chair. "Next time don't let yourself get –"

"Distracted, I know," Bubbles interrupted, her eyes slightly narrowing. Although Blossom meant well, the blonde couldn't help but feel that her sister thought she was insignificant and stupid. True, she knew Blossom never thought that of her, but lately Bubbles had been feeling like that. Why that was so, she didn't know. "I need to get something to eat. I'm starved." She paused briefly. "Do you want anything?"

"Whatever you make," replied Blossom, her eyes never leaving the chessboard. Bubbles got up and left her sister to her thoughts. She knew that her place and time with Blossom was done for now. As she walked out of the room, the Professor walked in. They exchanged smiles before he continued on and found Blossom sitting by herself.

"Win another game?" John asked with a slight smile. The pink-clad girl broke out of her reverie and noticed who was standing before her. She took a moment to register what he said before she nodded slowly. There was an awkward silence before John sat down across from her. "Do you mind if I play a game with you? I haven't played yet."

"Sure," Blossom said pleasantly and began setting up the board again. As she (with the help of the Professor) set up the board, she quietly asked, "What do you want to be? Black or white?"

"Black," he answered simply. "You can go first."

Blossom nodded and, once the board was set up, she moved one of her pawns two places forward. John had stared at the board for a brief moment before he quickly moved a pawn of his own. In response, she moved another pawn one space forward. They took turns moving their pawns around in complete silence before Blossom spoke up, "What do you think of the plan?"

John sighed as he moved his first knight forward. "It seems reckless and, yet, responsible at the same time. I know that you spent a great deal amount of time to plan this and put this together, but I feel the need to warn you to be careful. I mean, I know Bubbles is entering the palace in two weeks, but have you thought about what you're going to do once she's in there?"

"No," she replied. She moved her bishop two spaces.

John shook his head and moved a rook. "You need to be _at least_ six steps ahead of your enemies. It's a bit dangerous to be going on this mission blindly, without a plan. You're putting your sister's life in danger. I don't want any of you girls getting hurt by those boys."

She never took her eyes off the board, but she definitely felt her jaw clench. She moved her other bishop before she glanced up at her creator. "Are you insinuating that I am _willingly_ am putting my sister in danger? With all due respect, I am the one that has been trained accordingly for these types of missions, not you. If you feel that you could have pulled off all the stunts I did and better, then you run it."

John blinked, shocked at Blossom's sharpness. "Now wait a –"

"Because," the redhead interjected, not completely finished with her small speech. She moved another chess piece. She returned her glare back to her father. "I was under the impression that you couldn't save this world without us. That you needed us. Me and my sisters." John didn't say anything and Blossom smirked. "Yes, that's what I thought. Oh and by the way…checkmate."

Professor Utonium glanced down at the chess board. In only several movements, Blossom had taken his king. He shook his head as she got up and left the room, leaving him by himself. This was all too much, but in some respect, Blossom was right. Either way he looked at it, he and Earth _did_ need the girls. They were the perfect heroines for this job. And no one else could do it. Blossom _knew_ that.

Checkmate, indeed.

 

* * *

 

 

Boomer was ecstatic to have Amber (or rather Bubbles, but he didn't know that) come over. Sure, it was in two weeks, but he was already counting down the days until she came. He didn't care if counting down seemed childish or stupid. He was _excited_ and he wasn't even going let his brothers or Mojo ruin his feelings of elation.

He didn't know why he was excited for Amber's visit, though. He'd have other girls come over plenty of times (before they all decided they couldn't handle Boomer and his brothers, or because Boomer thought they were horrible friends), but he had a special feeling this new friendship would be better. He had a feeling that Amber was going to be different.

She definitely seemed different than most others. She directly spoke to him about her opinions when others dared not to. She had guts, he could tell, and she had courage as well. That was appealing to him. Sure, he wasn't all for the black hair (after all _,_ gentlemen prefer blondes…or at least Boomer did), but he knew that he could adjust to it. Her blue eyes and cute smile made up for that.

He had also continuously planned on how he was going to find some way to spend time with her. He had definitely abandoned his video game for the time being. And although he couldn't find something to do, he sure as hell knew that he was going to have a blast with her.

At least…if Brick or Butch didn't interfere.

 

* * *

 

 

"Have you seen Buttercup?"

That was the twelfth time someone had asked where Buttercup was and if she heard it one more time she was going to loose her temper. She was meditating for a specific reason and it was all going down the drain with all these people constantly interrupting her. She opened her eyes and the flames on the candles before her were still steady. As they should be. And as they would remain.

Blossom groaned inwardly and sometimes wished she had control over fire. Then maybe when her temper flared up, the flames would flare up, giving everyone a fair and silent warning to _not disturb her when she was meditating_. Instead of snapping at Ms. Keane, though, she calmly murmured, "No. I don't know where she is."

In fact, nobody knew where Buttercup had been for the past two weeks. The dark-haired girl had disappeared shortly after Bubbles returned home from the garden party. The only time that Blossom would see her sister was usually at bedtime and even then that was a lucky chance. Sometimes Buttercup would come in late and then wake up early. It was completely unlike her and downright odd.

For the past week, people had been asking where Buttercup had been and both Blossom and Bubbles had been unable to answer about her whereabouts. It was finally started getting irritating. Ms. Keane, in turn, sighed heavily. "Alright then. Do you know where your father is?"

" _No_ ," Blossom said thinly.

That was another person Blossom had not seen, but that was because the pink-eyed girl had chosen to avoid him. After he had openly doubted what Blossom was up to, she had completely ignored him. She couldn't understand why he couldn't trust her. If he trusted her enough to fight the boys, then he needed to trust her enough to plan out situations. She wasn't stupid and she wasn't clueless. He had insulted her and now she avoided him. Childish, yes, but it was better than yelling at him.

When Blossom fell back into meditating, she was already loosing focus. She had finally fallen back into the peacefulness of meditation after a couple of minutes when the door to her room slid open quietly. She heard the movement of someone entering the room and didn't do anything until a signal was given. Bubbles' voice rang over, "Blossom…um…Buttercup – "

"I don't know where Buttercup is, damn it!" cried the redhead as she once again was broken from her meditation. She whirled around, glaring at Bubbles and found the blonde staring at her with wide eyes. "I haven't known where she was for the past week and I'm not going to know now! So quit asking!"

Bubbles was silent and then timidly said, "Actually, Buttercup asked us to meet her in the conference room."

The leader of the girls blinked and then her face flushed. Well, this was what she got for yelling at her sister before she knew what was going on. She completely violated her training as well. Taking in a deep breath, she mumbled underneath her breath, "Sorry."

"It's okay," Bubbles shrugged. "You're just overly stressed."

Blossom nodded as she stood up. She and Bubbles quickly left the bedroom and walked over to the conference room. When they got there, they found Buttercup sitting down calmly on one of the chairs and one lone, small box resting on the table before her. They sat down in seats across from her. Once they sat down and then the green-eyed girl quickly launched into why they were there. "I know I've been gone for the past couple of weeks, but it was because I was working something up. Now, most of the first half of the week was spent researching and then the rest was spent actually making it."

"'It'?" Blossom rose an eyebrow and Bubbles blinked.

Buttercup nodded, looking somewhat excited. "Yeah."

She pulled the small box close to her and opened it. They looked in and didn't find much of anything except for three small, clear lenses. The two girls leaned in close, examining it. Their eyebrows furrowed in confusion before they glanced back up to the (surprisingly) smiling face of their sister. Blossom leaned back in her seat. "What's this?"

"These are mini cameras," Buttercup explained. "Now, Blossom, this is a plan that you'd be proud of. I know you've been stressing about what Bubbles should do when she goes and meets Boomer tomorrow and I've got your answer. What she needs to do is put these cameras in different places on a wall. They'll stick. Now, I have computers set up to connect to the cameras. All she needs to do –"

"Is make sure the cameras are in a good spot," Blossom finished, nodding in agreement with Buttercup's plan. She went silent for a couple minutes and then leaned towards her sister. "What if they see the cameras? I mean, what you're saying is that they'll be in plain sight."

"That's why they're clear," Buttercup answered as she jerked her head in the direction of the clear cameras. Silence once again befell the girls once Blossom gave her approval of the plans. Finally, Buttercup sighed and looked at her blonde sister. "Do you think you can do this?"

"Sure," Bubbles said with a small smile.

 

* * *

 

 

"Put this in your ear."

Blossom handed Bubbles the earwig and the blonde quickly put it in her ear. It was just exactly like last time with the skin-colored radio in her ear as she prepared to go to Boomer's place. First, she would show up at the servants quarters where Boomer would pick her up and take her to his place. From there, she needed to find suitable places to put the three cameras without her counterpart noticing that she was doing something.

As soon as Bubbles was ready to leave, she quickly left for the servants quarters. When she got there, she waited patiently for Boomer. And as she waited, she made sure that her wig was on perfectly and that everything was well hidden. When she was done situating, her counterpart had shown up. He had tapped her lightly on the shoulder and said, with a pleasant smile, "Hey, you ready?"

"Yeah," she nodded and the two headed for outside. As soon as they were outside, he picked her up and began flying her at top speed to the former Townsville Hall. When she reached Mojo's palace, she took in a breath and collected herself. Inside was not only Mojo, but Boomer's brothers as well. Hopefully, she could fool them as well as she had a couple weeks ago.

"Do you like movies?" Boomer asked as they climbed up the steps to their lounge. Bubbles nodded and he smiled. "Good. Because I have a couple movies planned for us. And then maybe I'll teach you how to play some of my video games. I have awesome snacks and drinks lined up."

She smiled. "How exciting."

The lounge was everything that she wished she had. It was comfortable and advanced. There was a huge plasma television, computers beyond compare and a small bar that served whatever the boys wanted. Amber's eyes popped out when she took in the sight and was somewhat envious of the boys. All she had was a tiny room that she was hardly in and the computers that everyone used. She had nothing to call her own. And even then, if she did, she was lucky. Boomer noticed her look and laughed. "Like it?"

Amber nodded dumbly. She was shaken out of her thoughts when Blossom's sharp voice interrupted via the earwig, " _You need to get him to get you to places to put those cameras! Remember your objective, Bubbles! Don't let their expensive tastes deter you from what's important_."

"Sure, sure," Amber answered Blossom, but, like two weeks ago, Boomer thought she was talking to him. She wandered around the room, as he put in a movie, and tried to find a spot where she could put her first camera. She found a spot when he offered her a drink. She accepted and when Boomer turned his back to her, she quickly took out her first camera and placed on the wall above the television.

She backed up and was relieved to find that even _she_ couldn't see where the camera was. Satisfied, she turned away right when Boomer had approached her. He noticed her looking at the room. "You want a tour of the rest of the place? It's pretty cool."

" _Perfect_ ," came Buttercup's voice. " _Take it_."

Bubbles agreed and, with her drink, followed Boomer. He took her all over the place and Bubbles was having a hard time finding good places to put the cameras. At one point, she passed by the entrance of Mojo's office and (when Boomer's back was turned) she quickly placed a camera on the wall adjacent to the door. She then continued on and then came to a suspicious looking door. Raising an eyebrow, she pointed to the door. "What's there?"

Boomer paused briefly as he looked at the door she was pointing at. His mouth tightened and he shook his head. "That's nothing. Don't worry about that and don't ask about that if you know what's good for you."

With nothing more to say, he turned around and began heading back to the lounge, expecting Bubbles to follow him. As she watched him walk away, Blossom spoke up. " _That's something. Quickly, put a camera. We'll have to watch that door carefully. Is that your last one?_ "

"Yeah," Bubbles answered.

" _Put it there and then relax. Just don't mess anything up,_ " instructed Blossom quickly. " _If you get more information out of him, great, but don't stress. As far as I'm concerned, mission accomplished. Your new mission is to just return home_."

Bubbles hastily placed a camera on the wall across from the mysterious door and then started walking off, following Boomer back to his lounge. She heard Buttercup speak up then. " _Cameras one, two, and three all activated. Good job, Bubbles._ "

The blonde grinned and whispered, "Good. Mission accomplished."

 

* * *

 

 

Ms. Bellum watched from outside the conference room. Both Blossom and Buttercup were coaching their sister through her objectives, listening in to the conversations and commenting on anything. A couple of times Buttercup would throw in a sarcastic remark and Blossom would rebuke her for it. Even Bubbles would mess up her conversations with her sisters and her counterpart, and got herself into funny situations. Luckily, Boomer never caught on to what she was doing.

Ms. Keane had later joined the girls, sometimes throwing teasing remarks to Bubbles for the awkward situations that she got herself into with Boomer. Blossom and Buttercup would giggle at what Ms. Keane would say before their schoolteacher left briefly and then came back with warm snacks and cold drinks. She was very motherly to them and they, in turn, accepted the warmth and affection.

It brought a small amount of envy to Ms. Bellum.

Ms. Bellum was a woman who never had a chance to have a family. Yes, she worked constantly and she did enjoy her job, but she always figured she had time. Now, eleven years later she wasn't as young as she used to be. She wasn't exactly too old for children, but she knew that she would tire out quickly if she had a baby. She didn't want that, but she didn't want to miss out on being a mother. Ms. Keane was getting a chance with the girls, but she would never get that chance.

Or at least, she thought so.


	9. Brittany

"How she doing?"

Buttercup ignored her sister and continued typing on the computer. She knew that she wasn't very fast nor was she the computer 'brainiac' of the family, but she knew what she was doing and she also knew she just needed some time. Her green eyes continued to scan the screen before she finally relaxed her already tightened expression. She pressed a couple of keys, turned around to face Blossom, and sighed, "She's got a couple of cameras into place and is now taking a tour."

Blossom nodded. "Good. Then we'll just upload the images and we should be fine."

The green-eyed girl nodded back, whirled around, and stared at the computer screen. She began typing several codes before various windows and computer matrices came up. The redheaded leader wondered what exactly her sister had those mini cameras entailed with, but didn't press for anything. Instead, she dutifully watched as Buttercup continued uploading things onto their computer. After five minutes of silence, Blossom began zoning out and wondered what actions they should take next when Buttercup cried out, "Listen! Blossom, come here!"

She snapped out of her reverie and walked over to Buttercup and looked at the computer screen. She half-expected something out of the ordinary or serious to be on the screen. Instead, what she found was an image of a sliding door on the computer. She rose an eyebrow and glanced at her sister. "Is this a joke? Buttercup, c'mon, it's just a door. I don't understand how this matters."

Buttercup frowned. "But Blossom, you've taken images of Townsville Hall many times. Think about it. Was there a room like this on the construction layouts and maps?"

Blossom thought over what Buttercup pointed out. It made sense when you thought about it. She had made a valid point that the door should be under suspicion. However, she couldn't be sure because she couldn't remember there being a room like that or not. And without solid confirmation, the two girls were going to get nowhere and Bubbles would have pit the mini camera in the wrong area and they wouldn't be able to move it after that. Those cameras virtually disappeared once they were placed against a surface.

Not wasting any more time, Blossom moved to the back of the room and pulled out a file from the filer. She quickly went through the accumulating file and pulled out a couple of papers. Papers in hand, she moved to Buttercup and asked, "Where exactly is this door?"

"I'll find out," Buttercup responded, happy that something exciting was happening. A small window popped on the computer and several image frames closed in on where the room was through the layouts. Once the location of the room was pinpointed, Blossom glanced at the papers and then at the window. Her expression changed from suspicion to confusion. That room was not listed as anything other a janitorial closet.

That was obviously something if Buttercup's instincts were right.

She was about to ask Buttercup to run some scans when she heard Boomer snap at Bubbles to never ask again what that door was. Through the microphone, she heard Bubbles breathing suddenly labor. She went to the microphone. "That's something. Quickly, put a camera. We'll have to watch that door carefully. Is that your last one?"

" _Yeah_ ," came Bubbles' voice.

Blossom shook her head, taking note of the nervousness in Bubbles' voice. "Put it there and then relax. Just don't mess anything up. If you get more information out of him, great, but don't stress. As far as I'm concerned, mission accomplished. Your new mission is to just return home."

There was silence for a brief moment and she, then, turned to Buttercup, who merely nodded. The dark-haired girl quickly typed some commands into the computer and then waited before the computer screen split into three different squares signaling that the images of the three cameras were operated. "Cameras one, two, and three all activated. Good job, Bubbles."

Once Bubbles announced a mission accomplished, Blossom glanced at her sister. "Run some scans on that door. See if you can get anything off of it."

Buttercup made a face, but obeyed nonetheless. As she ran the scans, theories began running through Blossom's head of what could be behind that door. She knew that the three of them could be making a big deal out of nothing, but the way Boomer had quickly brushed Bubbles off the topic made Blossom completely suspicious. And every theory that the redheaded girl came up with was nothing but trouble. Most of her theories pertained to a weapon against the humans. And that wasn't good. They needed to figure out what was behind that door and they needed to put a stop to it, whatever it was.

"I'm getting nothing off of it," Buttercup suddenly remarked. Blossom rubbed the bridge of her nose and then sighed heavily. This was going to get them nowhere, she realized. If they continued scanning the door, nothing would come out of it. They would have to analyze it manually and in person. That meant one thing.

"Buttercup." The green-eyed girl turned to face her sister and found Blossom looking very solemn. "Start planning how you're going to grab Butch's attention. Phase B will begin soon. We need to figure out what's behind that door. And _you're_ going to find out for us."

She swooped out and left her sister to her own thoughts. Never in Buttercup's twelve years of life (since she skipped her first five years) had she ever been afraid as she was now. It wasn't the fact that she had to find out what was behind that door. It was the fact that she had to grab Butch's attention. She didn't know how she was going to do just that, but apparently Blossom had complete faith that she could do it.

Burying her face in her hands, Buttercup exhaled a large breath. "Oh boy…"

 

* * *

 

 

When Bubbles came home from her mission, she was giddy that her part of Operation ABC was finished. Doing fieldwork had made her completely nervous and she was always afraid that she would slip up in front of her sisters and Boomer. But when she came home and found out that it was Buttercup's turn next, she was completely at ease.

However, she found out that Buttercup, like her, wasn't at ease when her turn had finally arrived. In fact, she hadn't even brought up the subject and when someone tried, Buttercup avoided the topic. A week before she had to go out and complete her mission, Buttercup completely shut herself up in a vacant room that she liked to spend her time in and hardly came out.

At first, Bubbles was worried and told Blossom that she should do something, but the redhead had said that Buttercup was just trying to figure out what to do. Bubbles didn't completely agree, but didn't say anything and hoped that her sister was right.

Two nights before she had to leave, it was then that Blossom became suspicious as to what Buttercup was doing in that room. So, she and Bubbles immediately began pounding on the door, yelling for Buttercup to come out and get some rest. A couple of times there was no response and the girls became worried that something was wrong. However, there was a response at one point and that put Blossom and Bubbles' minds at ease.

"Buttercup!" yelled Blossom. "You need to come out! Get some rest and food! You have to do that mission soon!"

There was no response again and the two girls just glanced at each other nervously. Pounding on the door again, the girls called for their sister. This process was repeated several times before the door opened and out came a disheveled-looking Buttercup. Both Blossom and Bubbles jumped back and the blue-eyed teenage girl squeaked, "What happened to you, Buttercup!"

Buttercup glanced down at herself briefly before she shrugged. "Nothing. But I have something to show you. It's something that I've been working on for the past couple of days." She held up Blossom's sai and Bubbles' kunai and shuriken. "Go ahead, grab them. You see, your weapons have been specifically designed to respond to your DNA and skin touch. Now switch weapons."

The two girls switched their weapons before an electrical surge race through their hands. Both girls, in shock and pain, dropped the weapons before they tended to their respective hands. Buttercup grinned widely. "See? No one else can touch your weapons except you. Isn't that great?"

"Yeah…Buttercup," Blossom said slowly as she bent down picked up her weapon. "That's great, but shouldn't you have been working on how you're going to get Butch's attention?"

The raven-haired girl waved her hands. "Yeah, I'll get to it when it comes. Isn't that in a week or so?"

Bubbles shook her head. "No, Buttercup. It's in two days."

There was silence from Buttercup and her sisters realized that she had specifically ignored how long she had until her mission came. They had also quickly figured that Buttercup had been working on those weapons to get her mind off of her mission. She had been deliberately avoiding working on this mission. Blossom shook her head. "Buttercup, figure out what you're going to do. You'll be going to a human bar in two days were Butch likes to go and you _are_ going. No excuses."

She turned away from there and Bubbles followed. As they walked away, Bubbles murmured to her sister, "She's nervous about it and she just doesn't know how to handle it."

"I know, Bubbles," sighed the redhead. "Trust me, I know."

 

* * *

 

 

Two days later, Buttercup was cleaned up and in disguise. As she stood outside the bar, she felt her heart racing and prayed that she wouldn't mess things up. She was a fierce fighter, but her sensei had a hard time trying to get her to do espionage work because she was too hasty. She also knew that if she messed this up, this could potentially mess up everything her sisters had worked for. That made her even more nervous.

She hadn't said she was nervous to her sisters because she felt that would ruin her reputation. She was known for being the tough one. The one that never backed down from challenges. The one that had a hard time saying 'sorry'. And she couldn't let anyone know that she was nervous. Especially her sisters. She was afraid that they would never let her live it down if they found out. Of course, she had a suspicion they knew, but she preferred to think that they didn't know she about her anxiety.

" _Go on, Buttercup_ ," urged Bubbles soothingly.

Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to move forward. She scratched her red hair and sniffled as she entered the bar. It was a simple place and most of it was filled with men. She saw someone women filtering around the place, but there wasn't many. It was a small ratio of women compared to men and that wasn't great for Buttercup.

Her eyes scanned the place, looking for her counterpart. When she didn't find him, she figured she would mingle and let herself get comfortable with her surroundings before she dealt with Butch. As she moved around, she felt a couple of pairs of eyes on her and realized that some of the men were watching her. She scrunched her face up in disgust, but didn't do anything. She had to remember that she had no superpowers. She had to remember she was a normal teenage girl.

_How tedious._

She got to the counter where the bartender worked and looked around. The bartender noticed her and looked at her expectantly. When she couldn't make up her mind what she wanted because half the names of the beverages sounded odd to her, Blossom gave her an answer, " _Um, just get water_."

Buttercup repeated what her sister said and the bartender nodded before he went off to get her drink. As she stood around waiting for her glass of water, an older man around his mid-twenties came up to her and said, "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at home with your mommy, little girl?"

She grit her teeth and kept herself from hitting the guy next to her. If there was one thing she hated, she hated obnoxious guys like the one right next to her. Instead of responding, she ignored him and waited for her water. Knowing that she was ignoring him, he kept taunting her. When she finally got her drink, she took a sip of it before she said, "Shoo, fly, don't bother me."

A group of men around them snickered and the annoying man's face flustered. He glanced at his companions next to him, embarrassed. He looked a little lost before a devious smile broke out on his face. "Big girl, huh? Okay, Big Girl, let's see what you can do. How about a card game? It's a simple one. You should be able to play it. Let's play a game of Bullshit."

Buttercup raised an eyebrow. Bullshit? That game? _How juvenile_. Little kids could play that game. It was like playing the card game, _Goldfish_. It was stupid and a waste of her time, but it was also a challenge to Buttercup's pride. That was the only reason she why she would accept the challenge. She wasn't going to let this guy win either. Taking another drink, she turned to him and said, "Lead the way, Tubby."

Tubby smirked. "Good. Follow me."

 

* * *

 

 

"I'm leaving now," Butch said as he turned away from his brothers. He knew that they weren't paying attention to a single word he was saying because they were so wrapped up in their own activities, but he said it anyway. When they gave a nod, he took off to the bar that he normally went to whenever he became bored, which was frequently becoming a usual thing for him.

He went to this bar on a regular basis because he felt it was more fun than any other bar. Women there draped themselves over him and he always got a good game out of the men (of course, many of them were too afraid to win against him), but it was a great pastime. Sure, many of the residents in that bar were scared of him, but they weren't so scared to not continue enjoying their free time and not let Butch participate.

Who was he to complain?

 

* * *

 

 

"What in the world is she doing?" blinked Blossom as she leaned back in her seat. They were listening to what Buttercup was doing and all they mostly heard were cheers and yells of men surrounding her. A couple of times she would utter the words 'bullshit' or 'hell no', but other than that, it was complete silence from her.

"I think she's playing a card game," Bubbles answered innocently as she lifted her resting head from her arms. She leaned forward and said into the microphone, "You are playing a game, right, Buttercup?"

There was no response and all Blossom said was, "Leave her be. We'll do something if it gets out of hand. Hopefully, she doesn't forget why she's there."

 

* * *

 

 

When Butch arrived at the bar, he didn't get the usual welcome he got. He didn't see some of the men turn away or nod at him. And he most certainly didn't get women gravitating towards him. Instead, what he got was everyone completely ignoring him. In fact, he saw most of the people at the bar in a circle around a table. Furrowing his eyebrows, he grabbed the nearest person passing by and asked, "What's that over there?"

"Jim challenged this new girl to a game and she's kicking his ass," the guy said nervously as his eyes shifted around, trying to see if anyone would help him. Butch merely threw him to the side and walked over to the crowd. He shoved his way through to the front and found Jim and a new girl facing off with cards in their hands.

The new girl, he noticed, was small redhead and the most piercing green eyes he had ever seen. She had a smirk on her face as she fiddled with the two cards in her hands. She exemplified confidence and arrogance at the same time. She had an air of intimidation surrounding her that both attracted Butch and made Jim nervous. He watched as she carefully put her last two cards down and said slowly, "Two kings."

Jim gulped and said as he put down three cards, "Three aces."

She stared at him before a brief moment before her smirk grew. "Bullshit."

Jim slammed his fist on the table as he turned the cards over and revealed two seven's and a queen. She rolled her eyes and shoved the pile of the cards over to him. Once he had the cards, she retorted, "Now, like, run along home with your tail between your legs, Tubby."

The crowd surrounding her laughed as Jim's face flushed and he slammed down the 52 cards and left the crowd in a hurry. She smiled and was about to leave when Butch called out to her, "Want to play again? Except this time against me? Can you win against me?"

She looked over to the person who called her and realized who it was. Buttercup, at first, considered accepting the challenge, but a plan formulated in her head. She had unintentionally attracted Butch's attention by winning that game and now, she knew, she had to keep his attention. She knew that if she accepted right away, she would have his attention for only the remainder of the game. She needed his attention on her even _after_ the game.

That's when she realized she knew what she had to do. She felt all the nervousness that was previously in her body slip away as she got up from her chair, turned her back to him and simply sighed a lighthearted response, "No. Don't wanna play anymore. Too tired to make little loser boys cry again."

The crowd surrounding Buttercup and her counterpart silenced at once as they looked between the disguised Buttercup and Butch. They expected Butch's face to twist into anger at her rejection, but instead they found him smirking. "What's the matter? Too scared that I'm going to kick your ass on such a little kid game? Too scared to loose your supposed winning title?"

Buttercup smirked. She got him hook, line, and sinker. Glancing at him over her shoulder, she sighed once more and replied, "Fine. But don't cry when, like, I whoop your ass."

The crowd laughed again as she sat down in her seat once more and Butch sat across from her. One guy took the cards, shuffled them up and then started passing out the cards to them. When they finally had their cards, the guy looked between them and said, "Have a fair game. Go."

Butch placed down two cards. "Two kings."

"Bull," Buttercup responded quickly. Butch took his cards back as Buttercup placed down her cards and said, "Two sevens."

"Bullshit," he said lightly. Buttercup smirked and then pushed the cards at him. He growled, but took the cards nevertheless. The game continued in the same fashion where it fluctuated on who the winner would be. At first, it appeared that Buttercup would be the victor, but then suddenly Butch would have the upper hand. It kept going like that for most of the game and the crowd didn't know whom to cheer for anymore. They didn't know whether or not to cheer for Buttercup or Butch and, by the end of the game, silence befell the onlookers.

Buttercup had a majority of the cards and Butch only had about three cards left. He placed the three cards down and said, "Three aces."

She didn't even glanced at the cards. "Bullshit."

He smirked and used one card to flip them over. It revealed three aces. Buttercup had lost. He pushed the cards over to her and she merely took them quietly. She put them neatly together before she placed the deck of cards in the center of the table and stood up. "Totally good game."

And with nothing more to say, she walked out of the crowd that was now cheering for Butch. The green Rowdyruff Boy stared after her retreating form. His eyebrows furrowed before he jumped from his seat and followed her. He found her sitting at the counter, waiting for a drink. He sat down next to her and smoothly said, "Since I won, how 'bout I take you on a date? Show you how the Butch operates."

The bartender gave her another glass of water. When she grabbed her drink, she scratched the inside of her ear before she turned to Butch, sighing. "Not interested."

The teenage boy blinked, confused, as she got up and moved away from him. Raising an eyebrow, he stared after her briefly. "What the…"

 

* * *

 

 

"Why can't I hear anything anymore! What did she say! Did we loose connection?" Blossom shouted as she realized that all sound from Buttercup's earwig had been cut off and completely severed. It had taken her a couple of seconds to realize what happened before she went into a frenzy because she was no longer connected to her sister.

Bubbles, wanting to calm Blossom down, glanced at the system, trying to find an answer. After a couple of seconds of looking at the communications system, she turned to her redheaded sister and quietly replied, "Um…no. Buttercup purposely turned off her communicator. We can't hear anything because _she_ turned it off."

Blossom remained silent, her anger accumulating before she yelled out, " _WHAT! IS SHE STUPID_!"

As her sister ranted about the stupidity of Buttercup, Bubbles rubbed her temples and whispered, "I hope you know what you're doing, Buttercup.

 

* * *

 

 

"What do you mean ' _not interested_ '?" Butch called as he chased after the retreating Buttercup. When he finally caught up to her, he grabbed her wrist. She abruptly halted and turned to face him with an offended look on her face. She looked down at her wrist as he said, "I'm _Butch_. How can you say ' _not interested_ '!"

"Like, let go of my wrist, please."

He ignored her and continued, "I can get countless of girls and _you_ tell me you're not interested!"

Despite the fact that she thought her counterpart needed serious help when it came to rejection, she was interested in fighting to keep her anger in check. She felt the sudden urge to punch him for his arrogance and for not letting go of her wrist. Hell, she even said _please_. Buttercup Utonium does not say _please_ to idiots. Instead of punching him, however, and revealing her secret, she glanced at her drink and then dumped on top of his head.

He promptly let go of her wrist and stared at her blankly. She almost thought she had made a mistake for pouring her drink on his head when he suddenly grabbed her into a carrying position. "Well…I didn't know you wanted me that bad. How about a name first?"

She bit the inside of her cheek to keep herself from yelling at him and resisted the urge to go into her trademark stance (her arms crossed over her chest). She knew that she finally, truly, had his attention, but his ego and insistence irritated her to no end. With a huff, she answered, "Brittany. Now, why don't you totally let me go?"

He smirked. "Cute name."

 _Blech!_ It was bad enough that she changed her sentence structure and accent to that of a girl she would never be found hanging around, but now she had a _cute_ name? Oh, she was really going to put the hurt on her sister when she got the chance. Cammy or Amber were better names than _Brittany_ , of all things! That horrible name just screamed the opposite of who she was! Despite her urge to throw up, she fluttered her eyelashes. "Thanks. Now, like, let me go."

"Not until you take back your ' _not interested_ ' remark and go out with me," he insisted.

Realizing that she finally got him to a point where she accomplished her mission and that the only way she was going to get him to let go was if she accepted, she smiled and answered in her fake voice, "I see there's no winning with you. Fine, then. Totally. Like, for sure."

"Great," her counterpart responded as he finally put her down. He winked. "See ya around, hot stuff."

As he turned away, she gagged. _Hot stuff_? Oh someone please just kill her now! Now she _really_ couldn't wait to get back at her sister for making her go through this torture. Actually, she could wait until this whole ordeal is over with. She turned her ear-piece back on and choked out, "Phase B complete. Ugh…someone get mouthwash ready for me when I get home because I think I'm going to throw up right here, right now."


	10. Prisoner of War

" _That was the most idiotic and reckless thing you have_ ever _done, Buttercup_!"

Everyone outside the room cringed. They didn't expect Blossom to react like this. After she had finished ranting about Buttercup's foolishness to Bubbles, she had remained completely quiet for the duration of Buttercup's mission. Everyone had thought that the redheaded girl had gotten over her anger and that she was going to calmly lecture her sister when she got home. However, it was the complete opposite.

Buttercup had walked into the base, desperately asking for mouthwash, and been asked by Bubbles to go to her room, Blossom was expecting her. The green-clad girl obeyed (though not without protest) and found Blossom sitting calmly in a chair, her hands folded in her lap, and her expression neutral. She asked Buttercup to close the thin door and the group immediately gathered.

And then this happened. Blossom had remained quiet for the first couple of seconds into the conversation before Buttercup tried giving her excuses. This seemed to set off the hotheaded teenage girl because then she suddenly raised her voice and started shouting at her sister. Usually, the group knew, Blossom was a calm girl and the only thing more intimidating than her fierce temper was her calm demeanor. But her yelling was just as terrifying because she hardly yelled.

That didn't seem to stop Buttercup, though, because she bit out, "Well, I wouldn't have been able to concentrate with you and Bubbles constantly yapping in my ear! I mean, look how much it messed up Bubbles when she was with – _what's his name?_ – Boomer?"

"I don't care!" yelled Blossom, causing Buttercup to shrink back a little (but only slightly – she was not going to tarnish her reputation of being the tough one – no matter intimidating Blossom could get). "It was irresponsible! What if you suddenly needed help? What if you had been discovered? We wouldn't have known either way because _you_ felt like you couldn't operate better! It was utter stupidity! It was below _stupidity_! It doesn't even have a word because that's how asinine your actions were!"

"But…but…" Buttercup stuttered. She knew what her sister wanted. Blossom wanted an apology from her. She wanted her to say those accursed words. But Buttercup wouldn't give her that satisfaction. She wasn't going to say anything. She wasn't going to say it. No matter how much it could rectify things.

Blossom growled. "Get out."

She was no fool. She knew no matter how much she pressed, Buttercup was not going to say she was sorry and she, personally, didn't feel like waiting around for an eternity for her sister to say it. So, she sent her out. Buttercup got to leave in a huff. "Fine. Whatever."

As the green-eyed girl put her hand on the door to exit, Blossom sharply said, "You're off any missions for a while. I don't want you out in the field. Not if you're going to pull moronic stunts like that."

Buttercup sharply turned around to see the burning anger in Blossom's eyes. Her jaw bobbed for awhile before her face scrunched up into an expression of fury. Her eyebrows furrowed and her jaw suddenly clenched tightly. Her loose hands curled into fists and she shouted, "Why? What if Butch wants to do something! Are you going to jeopardize everything like that because you're pissed at me?"

Blossom advanced on her sister. "Don't you dare start with accusations! You, if anyone, are not allowed! I am not jeopardizing the mission…not like _you_ did, anyway. I know what I'm doing and I'm saying you're staying _here_! Deal with it, Buttercup!"

Buttercup let out a frustrated growl and stormed out of the room. Ms. Keane, Ms. Bellum, John and Bubbles jumped aside, trying to stay out of the angry girl's path. The two older women glanced at each other before they quietly exited and left the family alone. It was not their place. Distressed, Bubbles glanced at Blossom before she quickly took off after Buttercup. John, however, stayed and walked into the bedroom.

"Don't you think that was a bit harsh of a punishment?" John asked calmly. He was somewhat nervous talking to her because the last time they had talked, Blossom completely blew him off and, not to mention, said girl was beyond angry right now. "She was right. You could jeopardize the entire operation."

"Don't tell me how to deal with my sister!" hissed Blossom as she crossed her arms over her chest. "You don't know _any_ of us. You let us suffer in solitary for practically eleven years. You let us suffer in our guilt for something we didn't know that we did."

"You helped Mojo set up that lab, Blossom!" John shot back, his impatience starting to rise, his confidence rising with it. "Don't tell me you didn't know that he was going to do that. I know you were upset that I didn't show up to pick you up from school, but to do that! To go against me and the city!"

"Like the city ever cared!" the teenage girl snarled as she sat back down on her seat. Her eyes narrowed and she looked extremely intimidating. So much so, John practically considered dropping the subject to escape her glare. "And yes, we didn't know. If you had only _listened_ to your daughters in the _first place_ , you would have realized that Mojo _lied_ to us. He called his lab the _"Make the Town a Better Place_ " plan. We were only a couple of days old! Naïve and lost! How were we supposed to know? But _no_ , you didn't listen. And still don't!"

John immediately objected. "What is that supposed to mean!"

Blossom stood up and inched closer to her father. "Because we're not important. We weren't born naturally so therefore we _must_ be perfect. We _must_ not have human emotions. I may not be completely human, but I have the human genetic makeup. But that wouldn't make sense to a man like you. After all, my sisters and I are merely your experiment, your _creations_."

"That is not true!" he shouted.

Blossom was quiet for a brief second before she hissed out, "Then you would have listened if it weren't true. But you didn't. Now all you want us to do is _fight_ for _you_ and the city that _hated_ us. It's ridiculous and yet we still do it. But we're _creations_ , we were programmed for that." She frowned. "Weren't we?"

The Professor opened his mouth to object, but Blossom merely shook her head and headed for the exit. Before she left, she called over her shoulder. "My punishment was fair. If she doesn't learn her lesson, she'll keep doing that and I am not going to jeopardize my sister's life for  _you_."

And with that, she walked out.

 

* * *

 

 

"How could she do that to me! All because I took out my earwig? It's stupid!" Buttercup shouted within the training grounds as she paced uneasily. Her arms flailed about, expressing her turbulent emotions bubbling within her. "And then she practically said I was below stupid!"

"That's not true, Buttercup," soothed Bubbles as she tried to calm her sister down. Although the blonde was not completely sure the punishment was a rash action on Blossom's part, she was not about to butt heads with the girl with the worse temper on the team. Buttercup may be tough, but Blossom's temper was something to behold. Bubbles was not stupid. She was not going to cross the redhead. "She insinuated your _actions_ were below stupid. Not you. And truth be told, your actions were a little bit stupid."

"So you're on her side!" she countered her sister nastily with a glare, her arms akimbo.

Bubbles quickly waved her hands around in a frantic motion and shook her head quickly. "No! No! I'm on _no one's_ side. I'm simply saying she was right in that you were wrong to disconnect yourself from us. What if you did need our help? How would we know? We wouldn't. Now, her punishing you while she's being irrational was wrong, but I can't say anything to that. It's not my decision."

"Why can't you say anything?" Buttercup asked hastily. Bubbles shook her head in response and mumbled something about Blossom being the leader and her having no right to object in their sister's decision. Buttercup let out a growl of frustration. "UGH! I HATE MY SISTER SOMETIMES!"

The blonde gasped. "You don't mean that!"

"I don't know what I mean!" yelled the emerald-eyed girl, frustrated. "I'm that pissed!"

As Buttercup continued to yell about how much their leader irritated her to no end, Bubbles rubbed her temples and murmured underneath her breath, letting out her own frustration, "Oh boy, somebody _please_ help me with these two. I don't know if I can keep up with them."

 

* * *

 

 

Over the next week neither Buttercup nor Blossom had spoken to each other. Blossom was still somewhat upset that Buttercup would do something so stupid and she was even more upset because she knew that the green-eyed girl wouldn't apologize for what she did and rectify it. Buttercup was still upset with Blossom for the punishment she received. And while she hated it, Bubbles chose wisely to not mention the other sister's name with whichever sister she was with.

And while it had pained Bubbles that her sisters were not getting along, the girls and others were affected by it as well. Nothing got done as it should have because neither sister spoke to each other and it greatly hindered everyone else. Their training as a group was neglected and the three Japanese teachers (when Ms. Bellum told them of the situation) were worried about how this would affect the team later on. Ms. Keane tried getting the girls to apologize to each other, but both were stubborn and would not budge – at least not until the other apologized first.

It had eventually seemed hopeless between the two and the group had eventually given up trying to get the girls to team up once more. They just hoped this wouldn't affect the operation so much that it was blown and completely forgot about. That would have been disastrous.

And while most were focused on the fact that Buttercup and Blossom weren't speaking, they vaguely noticed that Blossom and John weren't on good terms as well. Oh, Ms. Keane had noticed John had been feeling rather depressed recently and Ms. Bellum and the others had noticed that Blossom had been even more short than usual with her father whenever they spoke, but they never addressed it. They just figured that Blossom was like that because she was angry with Buttercup.

But the truth was, was that Blossom was not happy with her father. Although she had never shown it to her sisters or had said anything that had shown her contempt towards her creator, she still had harbored bitter and betrayed feelings. She felt angry that her father wouldn't listen to the girls when they tried to explain that they didn't know that Mojo had tricked them. In her five-year-old naiveté, Blossom had thought her father would believe her no matter what. And then he said those heart wrenching words:

"… _I don't know_ who _to believe."_

Those words had haunted the redhead for some time and when he had asked the girls to come back, there had been doubt that clouded her mind. Yes, she wanted to take responsibility for her actions, but she didn't like the fact that the professor hadn't cared to call them back earlier. He only cared to call them back when he felt they were necessary. That's when Blossom realized they weren't being treated like humans, like _daughters_. They were being treated like creations. Like something to command and then push into the corner only to collect dust because they weren't needed.

Blossom refused to play into that. She refused to have her and sisters pushed aside, waiting for further use while they collected dust. They weren't inanimate objects. Even if they weren't born the natural way, they still were people with emotions. They still could feel and think like humans. The only difference was that they had super powers. And even then, if somehow they could be taken away, then they would be completely human.

And these thoughts festered within Blossom. They nourished itself over the year they were here and the redheaded leader somehow grew feelings of anger and distaste towards her supposed father. And then she began doubting everything. What would happen after they did this? Would they still be hated? Would they be cast to the side until they were necessary? Would people shun them away? Would they have to go back to living their lives on that accursed rock in space?

These doubts lived within Blossom and made her nervous. That was why she was so careful. That was why she overreacted. She not only had to protect her sisters from Mojo and the Rowdyruff Boys, but also from everyone else. She had to make sure her sisters weren't hurt because, in the end, that was all Blossom had. That was all they had in the end – each other.

John Utonium may not _who_ to believe, but Blossom was not going to let the man rule over them with a master/slave relationship. It wasn't a father/daughter relationship and it didn't look like that was going to happen any time soon.

As Blossom continued to think over these thoughts, she wandered around the base. When she reached the communications room, she dialed the Fujiwara Dojo's number via video link and let it ring. But she wasn't truly listening or paying attention. She was so focused on what she was thinking that she was startled when Miyuki's voice softly said, "What are you thinking about?"

The redhead jumped out of her thoughts and turned to find her friend staring at her with a curious look on her face. Sighing, she shook her head. "Nothing important or relevant for that matter. What's wrong with you? You look troubled by something."

Miyuki sat down slowly and sighed as well. "Nothing. I'm just…anxious. I feel useless. You girls are doing everything and I'm doing nothing. I want to do something and some people want to do something. Don't tell my grandfather but I have been visiting the slave quarters here in Japan. Many want to do something. They are growing weary."

Blossom smiled sadly. "I know, but you have to be patient. I know it's a painfully slow process, but the only way of taking down Mojo completely and surely is to do it in the fashion that my sisters and I are doing it. Please, Miyuki, tell everyone to have hope."

"…Fine."

The Japanese girl was silent and Blossom got the sinking feeling that this conversation was far from over and that the girl's impatience was still not rested. But she didn't say anything further, knowing that Miyuki would open up to her if something else was bothering her or she still didn't feel satisfied with Blossom's answers.

 

* * *

 

 

They never found the bodies.

All this time and he had never questioned why they never found the bodies. Sure, he had not been bothered by it at first and he never mentioned it to Mojo that they never disposed of the bodies, but now it was starting to worry Brick. But why had this sudden panic come up on Brick all of a sudden? Why was it now that he suddenly was worried that they never found the bodies?

_They…_

Because of the simple fact that all these sudden break-ins with the firewalls, the changing of messages and the hacking of their computers was not a coincidence with the fact that those bodies were missing. That those girls were missing. And what was worse was that Brick had never completely checked to see if they were dead. He just assumed they were and that was a mistake on his leadership. He _should_ have checked that they were dead and he should have gotten rid of the bodies immediately. But he didn't and now he was paying the price with this worry. How stupid could he have been?

_…Never…_

Now, he knew it was a bit odd that a year after that "fight" with the girls that they would suddenly decide to show up, but it was still a possibility. It could still be something and Brick wasn't stupid enough to rule out the fact that they could be potential suspects. It was either their counterparts or someone who had done their research well.

_…Found…_

Either way, it made Brick uneasy.

… _Them._

 

* * *

 

 

Blossom lay wide awake that night. She was uneasy. She was restless. And she couldn't help but feel a little bit upset that she and Buttercup weren't talking. Although it had been a week, Blossom knew that this wouldn't go over well for anyone if they remained silent with each other. Eventually it would catch up to them and potentially ruin everything they had worked for – including their sisterhood.

Sure, Buttercup and her hadn't talked much when they were up in space, but it had been different than now. The only problem was, was that Blossom was too prideful and Buttercup was too stubborn to apologize. Both girls could hold grudges if they wanted to and this little silent treatment between the two could go on forever if they allowed it.

As the redheaded leader contemplated about apologizing to her sister (though she wasn't sure she was going to actually _do_ it), the loud alarmed shrilled throughout the dojo. Buttercup jolted up immediately and Bubbles jumped out bed, startled by the sudden noise disturbing their sleep. Both sisters were spending the night in Blossom's room because they had worked late into the night there. Blossom slowly got up and glanced towards the halls.

Her pink eyes suddenly became a lighter shade. With her X-ray vision, she glanced to the outside halls and found Ms. Keane and Ms. Bellum in their pajamas walking quickly towards the conference room. She watched until they were out of sight. Her pink eyes turned to their natural color and she glanced at her sisters. "Something's wrong. Let's go find out what."

"Well _, duh_ , something's wrong," Buttercup drawled sarcastically. Blossom held her tongue at the remark and merely got up and left the room. As Bubbles got up, she shot her sister a warning glance before she followed Blossom out of the room. Buttercup rolled her eyes and also followed. The three girls walked over to the conference room.

When they got there, the found Ms. Keane, John and Ms. Bellum talking to Setsuko, Hayate and Taro over a video link. All of the adults had worried looks on their faces and the three girls did not like the expressions. Assessing the situation quickly, Blossom rose an eyebrow and asked, "What's wrong? Potential discovery?"

"No," answered Ms. Keane, worry evident in her tone. "It's Miyuki."

" _Miyuki_?" Bubbles asked, alarmed. "What's wrong with her? Please don't tell me she's betrayed us! That would be so sad and horrible for all of us!"

"No, no," Hayate interrupted, his expression as grim as his voice. "She left for the slave quarters awhile ago. Now she's marching on Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching's palace. She's stirring up trouble. She hopes to cause a big enough revolt to help. It's a nice thought, but it'll remain _just_ a nice thought. She could potentially throw away everything we've worked for."

"Why would she do something stupid like that?" Buttercup asked and then shot a pointed look at Blossom as if say _'see…I'm not as stupid as other people we know!'_.

And while Buttercup was savoring such a triumph over the fact that she didn't appear as stupid as Miyuki did at the moment, Blossom completely ignored her and thought back to earlier that day. She sighed heavily, closing her eyes. "Because she feels useless and wants to help us out. She told me this afternoon, but I didn't think she was going to turn around and do anything like this! I had told her to be patient and things would happen over time."

"Miyuki is fool!" Taro bellowed. "I get her. Bring her home."

Everyone exchanged glances and hoped to God that nothing would be blown.

 

* * *

 

 

The human revolt was, in Miyuki's opinion, spectacular. The Japanese humans had managed to find anything in their arsenal and were quietly moving upon Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching's palace quietly. They moved stealthily, knowing that humans before them went about revolts hastily. If attention was brought up them, then it was over. The primate 'noble' would call the Rowdyruff Boys and then that was it. Everyone would be doomed.

If there was one thing that Miyuki had learned from the girls, it was stealth. The better you could destroy the kingdom from the inside without making a sound, it was all good for everything else. She had managed to convince the others to go about with her plan. And now, here they were, sneaking in Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching's palace, taking out any unsuspecting guards.

Just when Miyuki thought all would go over well, a sudden shout sounded the alarm. " _INTRUDERS_!"

She turned around and found a chimpanzee guard on the second floor, pointing at the humans. And that's when all hell broke loose. From out of nowhere, monkeys had flown out of rooms and hallways and the humans burst into action. Knowing that it would pointless to stay and that they were on borrowed time, she quickly ran her way through the fighting monkeys and humans and went straight for Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching.

She had checked several different rooms before she finally came upon him. There, sitting on his throne, was Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching. He had his hands neatly touching each other in front of his mouth, his eyes were narrowed and his cymbals were placed delicately next to him. _And the best part_ , Miyuki thought, _he was alone. No guards._

"It's foolish for you to be here unguarded," Miyuki shouted as she suddenly pointed her katana in his direction. She felt somewhat foolish and brave at the same time while she was here. Her heart pounded in her chest and the adrenaline pumped within her veins. Here she was and there was her freedom. And all she had to do was take out Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching. And, despite the words she had told Blossom nearly a year ago, she could finally avenge the unfair deaths of her parents. It was there for her taking.

"It's foolish of you to be here, period," the primate stated calmly, as he stood up and placed the cymbals in his hands. He smiled wickedly as he drew his arms back, ready to crash. Miyuki noticed this and sprinted off just as the cymbals collided and huge shock-waves followed suit. He frowned. "You are going to die, human. Whether you want to or not. Hold still and it'll get done faster."

"No!" Miyuki shouted as she dodged another strong wave. "I will never give up! We deserve our freedom back!"

Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching frowned. "Worthless girl!"

He crashed his cymbals again, watching as Miyuki dodged his attack several times. He grit his teeth, regretting for the first time staying in Japan palace for the week. China, he had decided early on, was too hectic and he needed a vacation. Japan was more likely to give him that vacation. How wrong had he had been. And now he was paying the price for it by fighting against a little girl who preached she could gain back her freedom.

It was stupid, really. They may kill him, but that doesn't mean the humans would gain back their freedom. They still had the Rowdyruff Boys and Mojo to deal with. If, by some miracle, he died in this fight, the others would discover his death and make everyone pay for their impudence. Only a genius that matched Mojo and Brick could cover his death. _And_ , he thought cockily, _I highly doubt there's anyone that smart to do such a thing_.

He crashed his cymbals again and the Japanese girl grit her teeth as she felt the pressure of the blast push against her lungs. She let out a gasp of air as she was pushed back, but kept her stance firm. After all, without her balance, she would loose everything and this was not a time to loose everything.

She pushed forward again, her the speed of the fight taking a hold of her. Her brain pulsed from the action and she felt her fingers twitch as she inched closer towards the Asian king. Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching, in turn, grit his teeth as he carefully examined the moves of his opponent. She was good, he knew, but not good enough. Such a girl was too hasty and impatient with her moves and it was bound to get her into trouble.

So, he crashed again and she dropped to the floor, to dodge the attack. _Smart_. She, though, wasn't smart enough because she got to her feet and charged at him, leaving herself wide open. She screamed, adrenaline coursing through her veins, and her katana waving over her head. _Such an elementary mistake_. Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching waited patiently, allowing her to make a jab at him before he moved. As soon as she jabbed her sword at him, he took his two cymbals and smashed one of her arms with it.

He twisted her arm in a painful direction. She screamed out in pain as she heard a sickening _crunch_. He smirked maliciously. He had broken her arm. However, instead of giving up like most humans would have done, she tried swinging again with her working arm with all of her strength. But it was not enough. He rolled his eyes as he easily smacked the katana out of her hand and then smashed one of the cymbals on top of her. She fell to ground, groaned out as her broken arm and (now) bruised hands collided with the marble floors.

She tried picking herself up to the best of her abilities, but it was a slow, agonizing experience. Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching didn't help matters when he walked around and mercilessly stepped on a leg, crunching it effectively. Miyuki screamed again, writhing in distress. He laughed. "Absurd child, thinking she can take on such a powerful foe."

Tears formed in her eyes as the broken bones twisted in deformed angles. She began crawling towards the katana, hoping to gain some power back. She didn't get far as Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching grabbed her by the ankle and tossed across the floor. Yelling out again, ache seared through her already tortured body. She laid on the floor, her body twisted up in uncomfortable angles, watching as the maniacal monkey staggered over to her.

 _I should have listened to Blossom_ , she bemoaned, tears flowing down her face. _I should have waited. I stood no chance and now I may die. My poor grandfather. He's already lost a son too soon and now he's going to loose a granddaughter. I am shameful._

She squeezed her eyes, whimpering in fear as she waited for her end, but felt nothing after awhile. Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching was merely smirking at her. "I am not going to kill you yet, human. Your skills are far too good for any ignorant individual such as yourself to have learn in imprisonment. You may have some information and I'm going to get it out of you. Guards!"

At that time, chimpanzee guards burst through the doors. Miyuki could faintly hear the distant cries of the battle and felt foolish. She led all these people to their deaths. How stupid could she have been? She should have waited until Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup were by her side. Now, she – and the others – were going to pay the price. She cried as the regional lord spoke, "Take this child to the dungeons. Get whatever information out of her. Use _any_ means necessary."

They saluted before they roughly picked up the girl. She whimpered out when one of them jostled her broken limbs, but kept silent. As they carried her away, she glanced into the corrupt gaze of Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching, thinking, _I will never give up my friends – no matter what_.


	11. Notes from the Past

The girls stared in disbelief at the grieving face of Fujiwara Taro. Their faces had gone white and their jaws bobbed endlessly. Blossom, in particular, was the whitest and most shocked. Sara, Sandy, and John, who were also in the room, looked as equally dismayed as the younger girls. They had sat in silence for what seemed like eternity before Blossom choked out, her voice weak, "And…you're sure? She's been captured?"

Hayate, who was with Taro, sighed heavily. "The girl had taken a handful of slaves alongside her. They managed to breach the palace before someone alerted the entire guard. Miyuki had slipped off to fight Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching, according to the survivor we managed to pick up from the carnage. He saw, apparently, guards drag her off before he passed out. She was alive because she was glaring at Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching as she was carried off, but she did not look well."

Bubbles whimpered out as she covered her mouth with her hands. Her eyes widened as she thought of everything that could happen to the girl. And Miyuki didn't have Chemical X in her, leaving her more vulnerable to being hurt and not heal as quickly as the girls would have. Buttercup, however, had look of rage on her face.

"We don't know if she's still alive," Setsuko continued softly as she placed a gentle hand on Taro's shoulder. Her face grimaced slightly. "And we don't know if she's released any information concerning you girls if she's being tortured. Taro-san's adamant in believing that she won't."

Her voice trailed off, no doubt wanting confirmation from the girls. Buttercup and Bubbles exchanged glances before they turned their gaze to Blossom. Their leader looked distressed by the entire thing and it made sense, seeing as how Blossom was closer to Miyuki than either of them. She exhaled shakily before she glanced up at Setsuko and murmured, "She won't."

Setsuko and Hayate's facial expressions relaxed considerably. John took this time to speak up, "Taro, the girls and I will do everything in our power to rescue her. She does not deserve to be put in such a state. No one does."

"Thank you," the dōjō master mumbled, his eyes downcast.

"Sensei," Blossom suddenly whispered. Taro's eyes flickered over to his student, as did everyone else. Her face was more solemn than it had ever been. " _Gomen nasai._ I should have done something. It was my responsibility."

Taro frowned. "You have no fault. No fault. Only mine. You have bigger problem to worry about. You focus on that."

The redhead bowed her head lowly and simply mumbled, " _Hai_."

The video link was terminated and everyone remained in silence. No one moved, fearing what to say, think, or do next. Finally, Blossom jumped to her feet and left the room. Ms. Keane's eyes softened at the sight and was about to go after her when Buttercup jumped to her feet next and followed after her sister. Bubbles, too, looked like she wanted to follow, but Ms. Keane merely shook her head. "No, Bubbles, let them work out their anger. They need to."

 

* * *

 

"You still pissed at me?"

Blossom raised an eyebrow and then went back to meditating. Buttercup sighed heavily as she uncrossed her arms and moved towards her sister. Didn't Blossom understand that this was taking a lot of pride swallowing for Buttercup? Knowing Blossom, she _did_ know that this was killing Buttercup, and she was probably enjoying her pain while she pretended to meditate. The green-eyed girl glanced at her sister, trying to find any hint of a smile, but she didn't. Staring at her sister for a moment, she tried to find the right words to end the tension. There had been nothing but an angry atmosphere between the two sisters for awhile now.

"Are you going to keep giving me a blank stare or are you going to say anything?" Blossom's voice broke the silence. Buttercup tore herself from her thoughts and glanced down at the redhead and into her piercing glare. Despite the fact that her eyes were a soft pink, when she gave a glare, it could be scary. Her small and rosy features were deceiving and it was times like this Buttercup was reminded of Blossom's power. That and not to cross her when she was angry.

"Look…" Buttercup exhaled deeply and glanced around the room. How she hated to say she was sorry. She swallowed and then bit out, "I'm…I'm…I'm…"

" _What_ , Buttercup?" snapped Blossom, her meditation practice slipping through her fingers like water slipping through her cupped hands. Her patience was wearing thin and her sister stuttering was not helping matters as it was. She knew she was being harsh, but Blossom was irritated didn't feel much sympathy. It was not her day, her week, her month, _or_ her year.

"I'm… _ugh_ …I'm _sorry_ , okay?" Buttercup finally cried out. Blossom's eyes flew open and snapped her gaze over to her sister. There, she found her sister looking down at her. There was frustration, no doubt, but there was also sincerity. This was taking a lot out of her, Blossom knew.

Blossom's lips twitched. "I forgive you. I'm sorry also. I shouldn't have been so harsh. I was just worried about you. After all, we only have each other and I don't know what I'd do if I lost either of my sisters. I'm just being overprotective."

"It's okay," Buttercup shrugged.

There was an awkward moment between the two sisters before Blossom sighed and stood up. She stared at her sister briefly before the two girls wrapped each other in a hug. The hug was all that was needed between the two sisters. It was a long, hard fight and the make up between them felt good. The fight was over.

"Are you guys done fighting now?" a new voice asked. The two sisters glanced over their shoulders and found Bubbles grinning widely at them, who finally decided to join them once she persuade her former teacher to let her leave. Buttercup and Blossom laughed as Bubbles skipped over to them and joined in on the hug. The three sisters hugged each other as tightly as they could.

 

* * *

 

The mere fact that the bodies of the girls were nowhere to be found had bugged him immensely. In fact, it bothered him so much, his whole demeanor had soured completely. Whenever Butch or Boomer acted up, he would snap at them or yell until they behaved. He stalked around the palace, intimidating any servants or staff members that had crossed his path, and overall had affected his home with darkness. Even Mojo seemed like a happy butterfly compared to Brick's foul mood. But if anyone asked why Brick was angry, he would simply glowered and tell them to mind their own business. Eventually everyone got the hint and hoped to God that this anger would die down and he would return to his usual stoic behavior. Because, by God, _everyone_ was treading on eggshells.

Brick, on the other hand, could not fathom or understand the mystery of the girls' bodies disappearance. For some reason, his instincts were telling him that their disappearance was off. That the human slaves did not bury them. Besides, there were no markers. There were _always_ burial markers that guided anyone as to where a person's grave was. Even if it was stick cross or a huge stone, there was something there. But not this time. This time there was nothing. No markers. Not even dirt freshly turned. Boomer and Butch might have missed those small details, but he did not. Now, he had thought, that maybe those girls were not liked.

He didn't know _why_ they were there nor did he know _whom_ those girls were associated with or _who_ created them. He didn't know _how long_ they were up on that rock. He didn't know _when_ they left for that ridiculous rock. He didn't know _where_ they were _created_. Or better yet… _where_ they were _now if_ they were _alive._ And more importantly, _why did Mojo want them dead?_ All of which were questions that needed answering.

He knew he needed answers, but without anyone knowing. Mojo would not be happy if he found out that Brick thought those girls were still alive. In fact, he would be downright furious. Not that Brick was scared of him. He just didn't want to deal with Mojo's screeching. It could get on a guy's nerves. And Butch and Boomer would whine and complain to everyone. And that was risky for him. If his brothers whined to everyone – and those girls _were_ alive – then _everyone_ would know and hide those girls. After all, those girls had be to be important if the Rowdyruff Boys were out looking for them and Mojo wanted them dead. He was not stupid. The humans would think that.

So, all in all, computer search engines were out of the question because they could be traced.

He would have to do it 'old school'. He would have to use books and newspaper articles. Meaning he would have to travel downstairs to the Townsville Hall Central Archives. The Archives were a library of books, records (birth, death, marriage, etc.), and newspapers. There, he hoped he would find his answer. Sneaking down wouldn't be a problem. Butch was hanging around the bar lately (looking for girl named Brittany or something like that), and Boomer was either distracted by Amber, the servant girl he had taken a recent liking to, or video games. Mojo would also be easy. The monkey was cooped up in his lab on top of the volcano working on something top secret – not even Brick, himself, could know about what Mojo was working on.

That was another thing that unnerved Brick. Mojo usually told his son of his experiments and projects for Brick's input. The two could go back and forth about theories(It was not a father/son bonding thing, but rather both keeping an eye on each other since they didn't trust the other). They would listen to what one thought was best for Mojo's inventions. Brick was allowed in Mojo's lab at any time. Access to him was unlimited. But this recent year had changed everything. First, Mojo wanted those girls gone (though he wouldn't say why) and lately he had been working on something so confidential Brick was not allowed to step foot in the lab anymore. Whatever it was, though, Brick didn't trust Mojo. This, he would think, was not in the best interest of him or his brothers.

Perhaps, the Archives could answer his questions.

So, as he walked down to the Archives, he thought about what exactly he had to look for. He knew that Mojo had been in rule for about eleven to twelve years. That gave him a timeline to work with. He also knew that the girls and Mojo were somehow connected, therefore he had to find that connection. He needed to find out how Mojo took over the world. He needed to figure why the girls were on that rock. No way in hell did they just appeared out of thin air. They were created. And this, Brick knew, would help him answer all his questions. And his answers were well overdue.

When he entered the room, he immediately skipped several of the first few book cases and filers and headed straight to the row entitled _1995_. Since, he figured, he was created eleven years ago and that was when Mojo took control, it would only make sense to start at _1995_ and work his way up or down from there. When he got to that specific year, he went through the row until he got to the newspaper column. Opening the filer that the bookcase was rested on, he grabbed most of the newspaper articles and went to the nearest table. He placed the newspapers on the table and shuffled through the first few (which had irrelevant articles of quints being born or a random monster attack) until he got to one interesting article. On the front picture was three little girls that looked like a younger, more naïve, vibrant version of those girls. Taking the article out, he read.

 

 

> **BUG-EYED FREAKS**
> 
> _Yesterday, Monday, September 4, 1995, Townsville suffered a devastating blow from three super-powered girls. Townsville citizens are used to most attacks from monsters and the Mayor is used to paying reparations for the reconstruction and most go about their business. However, yesterday, three girls (identified as Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup Utonium) caused a mayhem many have not experienced for quite awhile. Panic and destruction had followed in their wake everywhere they went._
> 
> _According to some witnesses, the three girls started their rampage at Pokey Oaks Elementary school, where some students mostly claimed they destroyed their playground and continued on to the rest of the town. And while their motive for devastation has yet to be discovered, the school has suffered over several hundred dollars worth of damages. Ms. Sandra Keane, the Pokey Oaks kindergarten teacher, stated when asked about the girls, "This is all a (sad event for the children)! Those girls (seemed like) good girls!"_
> 
> _Most of the parents of all the child witnesses will not release a statement._
> 
> _Later, the girls were spotted down one of Townsville's major boulevards, screaming "Tag!" at each other, which could possibly mean they would switch off causing destruction. One witness, Mr. Mackey, had remarked that, "It must've been a code!"_
> 
> _The destruction continued for another twenty minutes before police response was able to arrive at the aid of the citizens. By this time several buildings, including Townsville National Bank, several large corporations and a jewelry store, had been damaged. And while the police did not catch the girls, they were able to identify a man at the scene, putting the girls into his car. Police Chief Hittledee later released his statement to the press that this man was Professor John Utonium, a former science professor at Townsville_ _University, who had been fired when he began talking about creating three perfect little girls. The only relation detectives could give was the fact that the Professor Utonium was seemingly the father figure of these three destructive girls._
> 
> _Damages are a total of…_

 

Brick glanced up from the paper, wondering what happened next and who, more importantly, was this 'Professor'. He placed that article down, filed through some more, and picked up another short clipping.

 

> **MAD SCIENTIST DETAINED**
> 
>   _Not a day af_ _ter the destruction of the city, the Mayor had ordered a search for the madman, Professor John Utonium, the man responsible for the creation of the three freakish girls. Within hours of the order, police forces were able track down the scientist to the Pokey Oaks suburbs where they promptly arrested him. With the help of the Mayor's assistant, Ms. Sara Bellum, the police and their local ADA were able to acquire an arrest warrant to detain Utonium. Around noon on September the fifth, the police dragged out Utonium from his home. He assumed responsibility for the girls and several officers had to keep an angry crowd of citizens and parents from attacking the man. ADA Jefferies had also managed to subpoena some incriminating evidence._ _Many doctors of the Psych Ward of Townsville Grace Hospital have declared him somewhat mentally unstable and should remain detained. Whether a trial date has yet to be determined, but…_

 

So this John Utonium was the creator of the girls and he riled up some controversy from their creation. These girls were not liked. Which could explain why there were no burial sites for their bodies. The humans wouldn't have buried them. Which could mean that those girls were alive. But…what happened after the professor was arrested? That still didn't explain how Mojo was connected to them, why he wanted those girls dead or why those girls were up on that rock. This was a past that needed to be uncovered. And that brought up more questions.

Where were John Utonium, Sara Bellum, and Sandra Keane now? Where did they go? Were they dead? Were they in the slave quarters? Were they in hiding? He continued on and found nothing more. There were, in fact, no more articles. That article was the last one.

He got up from his seat, placed the newspapers back in their filer and glanced up. Looking at the bookshelves above, he found absolutely nothing. He did find records that didn't really state the deaths of the three adults, but the records weren't reliable. They weren't always updated correctly or often. Getting aggravated with the lack of answers, he began walking away, feeling the need to blow something up. As he walked away, small voice spoke up, "You know, just gazing at the books won't get you anywhere. Digging deeper could help. Pulling out books might be useful."

Brick whirled around and found a small-framed girl hiding behind the _1994_ bookshelf. When he rested his gaze on her, her hazel eyes widened and she disappeared with a squeak. He furrowed his eyebrows and quickly went around the corner of the bookshelf and found her standing very still behind the same shelf. Raising an eyebrow, he snapped, "What did you say?"

She squeaked out in fear. "I'm sorry! Don't hurt me!"

Brick rolled his eyes. _Why him_? "I'm not going to hurt you. At least…not yet. Not unless you help me. Now, tell me again, what did you say?"

She finally glanced up and looked at him. She bit her bottom lip, as if deep in thought and her small, slender hands reached up for her hair. Her delicate fingers immediately began twirling her auburn hair around them nervously. Finally, she exhaled a small breath and said in her small voice, "Pull the books out. Sometimes papers get shoved carelessly in the back."

He took in what she said and nodded. "Fine. C'mere."

The red 'ruff walked back to the _1995_ bookshelf, glancing over his shoulder to find the girl following him obediently. As he began pulling books out mindlessly and dropping them on the floor, he looked at her and asked roughly, "What are you? The Keeper of the Archives?"

"No," she whispered timidly. "I'm her assistant."

He didn't acknowledge her as he pulled out the books. They remained in silence until finally, Brick saw something at the back of the bookshelf. In its place was five combination locks that all read 0…0…0…0…0. He blinked and rose an eyebrow. "What the…"

"Told you," she said quietly. "Try unlocking it."

"It needs a number code of some sort," Brick remarked absentmindedly as he immediately began fiddling with the five dials. He sighed as he pulled away. "And I have no idea where to start. There could be an infinite amount of combinations."

The girl gave a small smile, "Narrow it down. Maybe something important happened in this year. You know, historically or something?"

He nodded and immediately thought of what it could be. He knew it had to be an important day for Mojo since he could assume it was _Mojo_ who put this little hidden safe within the bookshelf. It couldn't be between the twentieth or the twenty-third of August because there was no important event happening for Mojo during those days. Then perhaps the twenty-fourth of August? There were no human newspaper articles on that day. That must've meant something happened to the humans altogether. Immediately, he began spinning the five locks.

_9…_

_0…_

_8…_

_9_ …

_5…_

September 08, '95. And as soon as he put the correct combination in, there was a _click_ and the secret compartment popped open. He squinted when he examined the compartment and pulled out various yellowing papers. Judging by their looks, they had to be at least eleven years to date. He glanced through the papers hastily and with each page turn, his heart pounded in his ears. This was exactly what he was looking for. He glanced up and found the girl had disappeared. He blinked. Wasn't she just here?

No matter…she was of no further use and he couldn't care less if she disappeared. He'd spare her life. She, after all, had helped him find out what he needed. Trailing back over to his table, he sat down and immediately found that there were a couple of notes and diary entries by one Ms. Sara Bellum, Professor John Utonium and… _Mojo_.

He excitedly pulled out Ms. Bellum's papers first and began reading them.

 

 

> **From the desk of  
>  ****MAYOR J. MAYOR  
>  ****As written by  
>  ** MS. SARA BELLUM **  
> ****27 September, 1995**
> 
> _This is probably the last amount I can get written without the knowledge of Mojo. It's bad enough that I have no idea where John is._ _Some say he was imprisoned. Others say he disappeared. How foolish was I! How stupid was I to incriminate John for creating those girls. Now that I realize it, Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup were probably our only chance to save us from this horrible situation. They have the powers and obviously the teamwork. Blossom was easily the leader, or so John told me. And she was intelligent. She could've come up with a plan to help us. Sandy said she had the ability. The girl only had been in school for one day, but already had the intelligence of a middle school student – at the age of five! And she was still growing academically. And now she's wasting her intellect on that rock. A fierce warrior she'd be if she had the capability!  
>  _
> 
> _Bubbles had to be the emotion and the heart behind the team. She was sensitive and caring towards others, probably being the voice of reason whenever the other two girls lost their tempers or minds in the heat of the battle._ _And Buttercup, according to Sandy, was the muscle in the group. She was a powerhouse and sight to behold with that strength! No doubt she could have smacked some sense into Mojo should she have been given the chance._
> 
> _I have come up with a plan to get the girls to come back, but I can't do it myself. Those girls would never listen to me. I don't even know if_ they _know we placed their father and creator in jail the night before this all happened. I need John in order for this to work, but he disappeared. It's been one week and Sandy and I are alone. She has slipped into some sort of depression. She had spent this whole week worrying about those girls and her school kids. This is all my fault._
> 
> _I have recently discovered that Mojo is coming up with something. I heard something from one of the servants that are constantly around him that he's planning something. According to her, Mojo has stolen John's research notes for when he created the girls. He's planning to create his own version of the girls. I've managed to confirm this and the difference is, is that he's planning to create_ boys _. The equal opposites of Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup._
> 
> _Maybe if I hadn't chased away the girls indirectly, we would have the girls here and none of this wouldn't have happened. It's my fault. The humans are in captivity, John is missing, Sandy's in depression, the girls are up in space and I'm stuck here. And to top it off, the Mayor has completely disappeared. The last I heard, he was in the clutches of Mojo. Dear Lord above, this all my fault._
> 
> _I need to get out of here. I need to get help._

 

He put the paper down and shuffled through some more papers. He skipped over Professor John Utonium's papers and headed straight for Mojo's. This was exactly what he had wanted to see. So, he brought it up and quickly started reading it over.

 

 

> _**29 October, 1995** _
> 
> _Preparations for creating the boys are complete. Scientific research had been looked over carefully and I have spent countless of hours researching for this one pivotal moment. I am not foolish. I know for a fact that those pathetic humans are talking about me. They call me paranoid. They call me stupid. But I am not going to take my chances. Utonium is somewhere out there. And that is not good_ _enough for me. Why? Because that is the very man that can call the three people who can end my rule._
> 
> _It has been two years and that man holds a power over me. He can easily wield and call those girls to him. Even if they are possibly angry at him, they will still come. That is why I did not harm him_ _when my other experiments with my fellow brothers went wrong. If I hurt him, the girls would come running and they would attack and do whatever is necessary to get him back._
> 
> _Those girls hold a power that I fear. They have the complete ability to take me down. Buttercup has the fierce strength that never dies. She could beat me without even breaking a sweat if she wanted to. She is tough and unrelenting. Bubbles is quick. She could slip through my fingers and disappear from my sight quicker than anything on this planet. Practically a ghost. And Blossom…yes, I fear Blossom the most. Not only does she have a fierce attitude and she's quick on her feet, but she is intelligent. In a blink of an eye, I can tell she can come up with a plan. I must do everything to suppress them, to suppress her._
> 
> _That is why I am creating the boys. I have figured out ways to make the boys the complete equals and opposites of those girls. If the boys are equal, then that will delay the girls in coming for me. My sons will be just as tough, just as quick, and even more intelligent. The_ _boys will be everything that those girls are not. They will get rid of those girls._

 

Brick frowned. So he and his brothers were merely created to get rid of the girls. He was bothered by that, but accepted it nonetheless. Mojo had a reason. He and his brothers were lucky enough that Mojo kept them around after the girls had supposedly died. Of course, it could be that Mojo was just terrified of them. And another thing, Mojo seemed to be terrified of this 'Blossom' girl. He could only assume that she was his counterpart. He continued on to the next note. It was John Utonium's.

  

 

> _**From the desk of  
>  **__**MAYOR J. MAYOR  
>  **___**As written by  
>  ** JOHN UTONIUM **  
> ****3 March, 1996**
> 
> _Sara,_
> 
> _I had to steal the Mayor's papers when I left so I could write this. I feel somewhat bad that I had to leave you and Sandy behind, but it must be done. I know you are blaming yourself right now, but you must understand it is not your fault that this happened. I should have believed the girls when they said they had no idea what Mojo had in store. But I guess it goes back to_ _before this all started. Before the girls were even created. I shouldn't have kept Jojo. Or better yet, I shouldn't have even let Jojo into the lab. But I had felt so bad for the monkey. He lost his mother and he needed someone to care for him. And I took him in._
> 
> _And then he got caught up in the blast. He was so close to the bowl and I was too terrified of the chemical reaction in the bowl to pull him away._ _Had I pulled him away then maybe his genes wouldn't have been mutated and his brain wouldn't have expanded. And his intelligence levels wouldn't have shot up. He wouldn't have ceased being Jojo. He wouldn't have become Mojo Jojo. This, truly and utterly, is my fault. I should have paid more attention and then none of this would have happened. But that is beside the point. It is_ far _from the point._
> 
> _The point is, is that I have…_

 

Brick's cell phone had vibrated in his pocket. He brought it out and saw that the call identification had read **'BOOMER'**. He picked up the phone and Boomer immediately started talking, not allowing Brick to get a word in. "Hey, Mojo wants you to get ready. The horse event is going to start in an hour and he'll start screeching if you're not here when we leave."

"Yeah, yeah," Brick muttered and shut his phone. "Damn horse race."

Sighing in aggravation, he got up and placed the papers back inside the little compartment where he found the aging papers. He shut the compartment and walked away. As he was about to exit the room, he glanced back and noticed no one was in the room. Shaking his head, he continued on, oblivious to the little, mousy assistant still in the room.

 

* * *

 

" _That was smooth._ "

Blossom situated her hair. She had just spent the past couple of minutes hiding from Brick. She knew it was risky that he got to those papers first, but she also knew that he needed to unlock that secret compartment. During this past week and half that Miyuki was gone, she had managed to sneak into the Townsville Central Archives and Bubbles had landed her a position as Ms. Torres' assistant. Throughout the duration of the week, Blossom had discovered a secret compartment. And she knew she needed Brick to get into it.

She had spent a majority of her time trying to figure out _how_ to get Brick downstairs into the Archives, but had failed at coming up with a plan that seemed believable. She was lucky when Brick came down all on his own. She had quickly managed to get him to open the compartment as he walked away. Now, he was placing the papers back and once she was sure he was gone, she was going to get what she needed.

She waited for several moments before she heard the click of the Archives' main door shutting and started moving. As soon as she got to the compartment, she began moving the books out of the way. She quickly moved the locks and let the compartment pop open. She yanked out the papers and quickly shuffled through them. She found her father's note and read over it. Finally she got to the part she wanted.

 

 

> … _is that I have a plan. I have met up with three teachers that have agreed to train the girls. I have a plan to send out a message to space that will convince the girls to allow all of us – me included – to correct all of our mistakes and make this right. We were all wrong. Me, most of all, for not teaching the girls. And now we can have our chance. The teachers have agreed to teach the girls to fight properly and one has agreed to take on the girls individually to hone their skills. One will teach Buttercup to calm her temper, the other for Bubbles to use her emotions effectively, and the last to better Blossom's intelligence._
> 
> _If all goes according to plan then we can take back our town, our home and our lives. I can only hope that all goes well. Promise me, Sara, that you will keep Sandy safe and well. As soon as I can, I will get both you and her out of there. I'll probably need your and Sandy's help in order to convince the girls. They're probably mad at me. Knowing Buttercup, she's_ more than likely _the most mad. And I don't blame her. Bubbles will be easy to help. We'll have to worry about Buttercup and Blossom._
> 
> _Keep safe, Sara,_
> 
> _John_

 

She nodded and took the papers. She looked over the others and found that there was nothing that she needed from them. Placing them back into the compartment the way she found them, she immediately began walking away. Once she was sure that she was completely alone (after all, the walls have ears), she said quietly to her sisters, "Buttercup, get me into that horse race."

" _Done_."

Backing away from her work, she moved to the back of a makeshift bed she made to make it appear like she lived here. Moving a bookshelf, she revealed a hole that she made when she broke into the place. Going through, and making sure to hide the hole behind her, Blossom escaped out of the tunnel and made her way towards the horse race. Her mission was not complete. She now had to get Brick's attention on her.


	12. Cammy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Colitis information taken off of WebMD! Also, underage drinking is not condoned!

The horse race was a glamorous event. It was usually where the Regional Primate Kings, human sponsors, and the Royal Family got together to watch human jockeys race against one another. Of course, most of the primate rulers usually spent their time talking about how grand their lives were or hassling the human servants that were busy keeping them fed and hydrated rather than watching the races.

Today was no different. Blossom grit her teeth as she managed to weasel her way into the serving tents. The manager at the tent flap had given her a hard time because she appeared late and then, on top of that, her name was the last on the roster. She had, in character, tried to explain why her name was last, but the manager would have nothing of it. He merely snapped at her to get inside and she quickly obeyed before she said something she would regret later.

When she entered, she noticed the various chefs busily hurrying around the kitchen and waiters coming in and out. Orders were being shouted, bouncing back and forth between chefs and waiters, and the sheer noise of the cooking could have drowned out a person's voice. She was severely lucky she enhanced hearing in order to even listen to herself think, let alone hear her sister's voice via the earwig.

A woman, obviously the head waitress, noticed Blossom standing around, watching the commotion, and bit out for her to get ready. She shoved a uniform in her hands and directed her to a bathroom. The disguised girl quickly changed into her new clothes (freshly pressed black khakis, white-collared shirt, and black vest) before she slowly emerged from the bathroom, thinking about the various ways she would have to get Brick's attention.

She pulled her hair into a low, neat ponytail and then quickly picked up her serving tray. She had gotten orders from the head waitress stick to section 'c' in the area. She had taken her job and quickly gone out. As soon as she had left the serving tent, she quickly went to her assigned section and was both nervous and satisfied when she found the Rowdyruff Boys and Mojo there. Along, she noticed, with a young girl she didn't recognize. She gave a quick description to her sisters, who gave a prompt answer in return.

" _That's Princess Morbucks. Be careful. She's a drama queen and spoiled brat,_ " whispered Bubbles' voice bitterly through the earwig. Blossom remained quiet and looked at the teenage girl sitting down next to Boomer. She narrowed her eyes slightly, making sure to remember her before she went on. She took a deep breath and prayed Mojo wouldn't recognize her.

She took her time examining the section, making note of who was there. Besides Mojo, the boys and Princess Morbucks, there seemed to be other humans there as well, which suited well with Blossom. As her eyes scanned the section, it was then she picked out Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching from the crowd. Her hands gripped her tray and it took all her will to not crush the plastic underneath her hands as her gaze fell upon the primate that was holding her dear friend captive. She took a couple of deep breaths ( _Patience, Blossom, the time will come..._ ) and headed straight for table one, where Mojo was sitting. When she finally got there, Mojo snapped, "Finally! About time! I'm starving."

Taking on the persona of her alias immediately, she stuttered out quietly, avoiding the gaze of her counterpart. "F-forgive me, s-sire. Um…w-what can I g-get for y-you, sirs?" Princess coughed and Blossom cleared her throat. "S-sorry, and ma'am?"

While Blossom took down the orders of the table, Brick stared at her, his eyes narrowed. Where in the world had he seen this girl? He couldn't really tell because she allowed some of her hair to cover her face. Even as she took his order of what he wanted, she still didn't fully look at him. She was too busy staring down at her notepad. And while this might have suited all the "higher-up's" just fine, it was bothering him nonetheless. He was still bothered as he watched her walk away.

Blossom, as she walked back, gave the orders to the chefs and then took in a deep breath. She thought she was lucky. Mojo hadn't recognized her, but that was easy to accomplish. She hadn't looked up for a couple of reasons. One, because she didn't want Mojo to entertain any potential ideas that it was _she,_ Blossom, underneath the disguise. As annoying as the ape could be, he was smart and Blossom was not going to risk anything. And two, because, when she noticed Brick staring at her, she made sure he couldn't see her face so he would remain curious.

When the head waitress shuffled her out of the serving tent again, she carried on with her job, taking orders from the other tables in her area. And as she did so, she felt Brick's scrutinizing gaze following her wherever she moved. Her heart pounded, not sure if it was from the intensity of the mission or simply because a boy was watching her carefully. Although she was sure she held no interest for the boy who had beaten her to an inch of her life, she was still seventeen and still had raging hormones. And her counterpart's intense gaze could give _any_ girl chills.

And when she had gotten back to the serving tent for the seventh time, table one's food was ready. Placing the meals on the tray, she carefully balanced the food and carried it over to the Royal Family. With her head still down, she handed everyone their respect plates and could help but notice the differences in ordered meals. Different meals where she tried infer the different personalities of her enemies.

Boomer ordered cheeseburger, fries, and soda. _Laidback and simple_. Butch ordered a steak, potatoes, and beer. _Extremely masculine and tough._ Princess demanded a Filet Mignon, arugula salad, and Don Perignon champagne. _Self-conscious and arrogant_. Mojo Jojo requested linguine alla carbonara, side salad, and water. _Dignified and well-organized._ Brick ordered salmon, rice pilaf, Caesar salad, and water. _Thoughtful and analytical_.

Blossom made sure to make a quick mental note of her observations. She, however, did not say anything as she quickly turned herself around and made a hasty exit. Brick, meanwhile, was growing increasingly frustrated as he couldn't place her face. Albeit, he knew it would be hard because the only human he ever really talked to was Mrs. Brown (who was scary in her own right, even if she was a powerless woman), but he was determined to place her face. He squinted his eyes in deep thought, ignoring the indignant looks he was getting from Princess, who, without a doubt, harbored fierce feelings for the red 'ruff. He, on the other, was not interested in the insipid girl, seeing as how she was spoiled and not the sharpest tool in the shed. She couldn't even find her way around the Archives…

And that's when it hit him.

He quickly excused himself from the table and followed hastily after the retreating waitress. He didn't even wonder if his brothers saw him follow her. He quietly trailed her tiny form, making sure she didn't take notice. He watched as she entered the back of the serving tent, where she placed more orders from other tables and immediately began fixing her vest. Even while she was doing what she needed to do, she still kept her head down, as if she were doing this on purpose. It was driving Brick insane because he couldn't get a clear look now that he had an idea of who she was.

And while Brick was going insane, Blossom knew what she was doing. She had immediately sensed Brick's presence following her to the back of the tent and she also knew that he was trying to get a good look at her face. So, she kept her head down. She needed to keep his attention on her and if he couldn't see her face then that was long enough time to catch his attention. She knew, after all, that it would be tricky, but it would also give her time to come up a foolproof plan to _keep_ his attention on her always.

She knew that Brick would probably be the hardest. He was not easily swayed by having different perception like Bubbles was to Boomer nor was he attracted to girls who didn't give him an ounce of attention like Buttercup was to Butch. She knew that he liked intelligence and it would be hard to fully catch his attention without casting suspicion on herself. Even what she was doing at that moment was tricky enough because she knew once he recognized her and put her face in the right memory, he would go about his business. Somewhere deep down – even though she knew it was risky – she would even let him get suspicious of her for anything…just to keep his attention on her.

Blossom kept going about her business, making sure to keep her face out of his line of sight. In fact, she even ignored him when he entered the tent and sent the waiters and waitresses into a tizzy because of his presence. Just as long as she kept away from him. However, that plan did go on for long, because she suddenly felt a hand roughly grab her arm and lead her out of the tent. Still keeping her head down, she squeaked out, "S-sir, w-what did I do? C-can I help you with s-something?"

Brick didn't answer. Instead, he waited until they were outside the serving tent when he whirled her around to face him and grabbed her chin. He forced her to look up and the one thought that had flashed across her mind was _'damn!_ ' She had no idea that Brick was _this_ impatient! So she kept quiet as he muttered, "You're that girl from the Archives, aren't you?"

She hesitated briefly, wondering if she should tell him. But judging by the look on his face, it was no place to play games with him. "Yes."

"What're you doing here?" he hissed as he dropped his hand from her chin and glared at her. She felt the urge to shoot some sarcastic remark at him, but suppressed her feelings. She wasn't scared of his glare. She knew she could give him just as frightening a glare back. But, again, she bit her tongue and pretended to be scared of his gaze. He shook his head. "Never mind, forget what I asked."

"Sir?" she whispered nervously.

He moved away from her, paced briefly before he told her, his voice laced with venom, "You mention to _anyone_ that I was down in the Archives, I will hunt you down and _kill you_ , got it?"

Brief flashes of when he was beating her up from when she first arrived on the planet entered her mind and, for a moment, Blossom lost her composure. Her face paled shortly before she whispered out, "I promise."

He nodded and went back into the tent. As she stood her ground as she recollected herself. Her heart pounded in her chest and she lifted her hand to calm it down. She took in shallow breaths, trying to get a grip, but feeling somewhat vulnerable. Once her heart rate and her breaths were evenly paced, Buttercup hissed into her ear, " _What the hell was that! You lost his attention! Damn it, Blossom!"_

"Chill, _Brittany_ ," Blossom said strongly, though feeling the complete opposite. "I just lost it briefly. I am not going to leave this race without catching Brick's attention. Trust me, won't you? I have a plan going on, don't worry. Brick is just a little tough because…well…he is."

" _Yeah,_ " Bubbles agreed. " _Don't worry, Buttercup. It's_ Blossom, _for goodness sake! She always has something planned._ "

The redheaded leader remained silent as she walked back into the serving tent. While some servants seemed relieved that she hadn't been killed (as was the assumption when she and Brick disappeared from their sight), Blossom was too busy trying to come up with a plan. She had absolutely nothing. Brick did not act out according to her _original_ plan. Now, she had to come up with something on the spot. She picked up her serving tray and thought bitterly, _Yes, because I'm Blossom. I always have something planned. Damn it._

 

* * *

 

 

"How is she doing?" John asked as he walked into the communication room. Buttercup glanced over her shoulder and didn't say anything. She had heard about the fight between Blossom and her father and she had immediately taken Blossom's side. Sure, it was about _her_ they were semi-fighting about, but she still didn't like her dad at that moment (as childish as it sounded). She would choose her sister over her father…even if they were arguing about her punishment.

"She's okay," Bubbles said, listening to what was going on for Blossom, the only one between the three girls to have fully forgiven her father for his past transgressions. "She has a plan in mind. I have no doubt she won't pull it off. She got Brick to do some things she needed already and now she has him worried over something. Though, I don't see _why_ he's worried that she knows he was down at the Archives."

Buttercup sat down in her chair. "Because nobody is supposed to know he was there. Something tells me that he's going against a lot of people doing what he's doing. Brick is finding out things that Mojo doesn't want him to know."

"So," Bubbles whispered, "he could get into serious trouble?"

John, who had been listening to what the girls were saying, though he didn't know _what_ exactly they were going on about, had quietly whispered, "Yes. He could get into a lot of trouble if someone discovers he was down there. The ball is in Blossom's court. She holds something over him now."

The green-eyed teenage girl frowned. "Hurry, Blossom."

 

* * *

 

 

It had been at least an hour she had been serving the Rowdyruff Boys, Mojo and Princess and she still hadn't come up with something. She had been going about her business, listening to their small chatter about how great they were and Brick had avoided her altogether. Which, of course, didn't suit well with Blossom. She had absolutely nothing. She was in deep trouble if she couldn't come up with something within the next hour. And, not to mention, she would never hear the end of it from Buttercup. She was starting to loose hope when she heard Princess muttering underneath her breath, "Ugh…my stomach is killing me again."

Blossom looked up when she said this and found that the girl was holding onto the upper part of her stomach. Princess's face was twisted into pain as she muttered in an almost strangled voice, "It's like major cramps…" Blossom narrowed her eyes as she slowly put a plate of dessert down, waiting for the other girl's reaction, and Princess scrunched her face up. "No! Take that away…I've lost my appetite."

Boomer blinked, confused. "But you were just saying that you were hungry."

"I _know_ ," She snapped, glaring at the blue ruff next to her. "But I'm not hungry anymore. Besides, I'm trying to loose weight. Dessert doesn't help."

"Trying?" Butch rose an eyebrow as he dug into his pumpkin cheesecake. "You already have. A lot of it, really. In, like, a couple of weeks you went from average to…I don't know… _anorexic_."

Princess glared at him. "I am _not_ anorexic. It's not my fault that I am having stomach cramps and I am no longer hungry. So, Butch, shut your trap and don't say anything until you have something remotely intelligent to say." She then turned to Brick. "Did you hear what your stupid brother said to me, Brick!"

Blossom looked at the scene in front of her as she glanced at Brick and Mojo. Neither were paying attention to her, much to the chagrin of Princess, who looked ready to burst from the lack of attention at her counterpart. She knew it was risky to do what she was about to do, but she did it anyway. Raising her voice a little above a whisper, she said, "You know, Miss Morbucks, you could have Colitis."

Everyone stopped eating and looked up at her. Boomer and Butch were merely shocked that the girl had even spoken. Wasn't the girl practically a mute other than the few times she didn't stutter out her questions? And now she was talking (albeit, it was still quiet) and not stuttering? It was bizarre. Princess, herself, was shocked that the girl had the nerve to speak to her, but she pushed the thought aside when the girl gave her a possible reason as to _why_ she had been in pain lately. Brick and Mojo, however, were shocked such a human girl knew something advanced for someone who had spent their life in captivity.

The auburn-haired girl had noticed the looks she was receiving (particularly the suspicious looks from Mojo and Brick) and almost immediately regretted speaking up, but kept her stance. Now she had their attention, particularly Brick's. It was risky that she suggested something advance for a human girl, but it got their attention. Sure, she also got Mojo's attention, but she could easily divert it. "S-sorry. T-that was unnecessary."

She quickly gathered Princess's plate of cheesecake and was about to make a hasty exit, when Princess grabbed her wrist, stopping her from moving. Blossom glanced down at her as the other teenage girl asked her, "What is… _Colitis_?"

Blossom looked around quickly before she replied, "Colitis is a chronic inflammation of the membrane lining the colon – usually your large intestine or bowel. It causes ulcers to appear in the top layer of the lining of the large intestine. Symptoms usually are fever, lethargy, stomach cramps or lower abdomen discomfort and weight loss from…um…diarrhea, just to name a few."

Princess's face paled. "So…how do you treat it? I don't need surgery, do I?"

"No," Blossom replied quickly, seeing that the girl was panicking. Spoiled brat she may be, Princess hadn't done anything to her for the pink girl to cause alarm in the rich girl. "You don't need surgery. Most Colitis patients don't need surgery. Unless it's severe, which I don't think yours is. Ulcerative Colitis is only cured by surgery, but most people who _do_ contract it, like I said, don't need it. Medication is what usually takes care of Colitis, though it _doesn't_ cure it. But don't worry, if you get medication, your colitis can be controlled. I don't think you'll need surgery."

The auburn-haired heiress nodded slowly, still somewhat shocked. She didn't understand half of what the waitress said, but she figured she could get Brick to explain it to her later. "Leave."

With her permission to leave, Blossom took off, noticing the way Mojo was looking at her suspiciously. She heard muttering from behind her as she made her exit. She had finally made it behind the serving tent, to catch her breath when she heard Brick's rough voice behind her. "How did you know what Colitis is? Most humans don't."

She turned to look at him, faking panic, when she squeaked out, "I work in the Archives! I r-read things everyday! Y-You know, newspapers, m-medical records, articles, and books! That's h-how I know! P-Please don't hurt me! I'm sorry. I only read them so I can categorize them carefully and update them c-correctly."

She closed her eyes, waiting for something to come (or at least pretending to) when she heard her counterpart question. "So, you know how to read? How is that possible? You had to be at least two or three when Mojo took over. You couldn't have learned to read."

"A-actually," she whispered, reopening her eyes to turn her gaze on him. "I was five and I had only learned my ABC's and simple words. I taught myself over the years."

Brick stared at her. _Five?_ She _couldn't_ be seventeen. She looked too small to be that age! And yet, here she was at seventeen and she knew what the hell Colitis was. She taught herself to _read_! She read through so many newspapers and books and medical records. She must know a lot. A hell of a lot more than half of the girls that Butch and Boomer spent their time with. She was smart, he could tell, and she thirsted for knowledge. But more importantly, she knew her way around the Archives.

Blossom, on the opposite end, was somewhat nervous. Did Brick believe her story? She knew he was trying to figure out what happened to Ms. Keane, Ms. Bellum and her father. She also knew that he didn't believe that her and her sisters were dead. He knew, to some extent, that they were alive. And he was looking for them. Would he realize that one of the girls was standing right in front of him? And more importantly, would he turn her into Mojo? Or kill her here? Was she screwed? She knew he would be hard to convince…

"What's your name?" He finally asked, serious.

She blinked, whispering, "Cammy Anderson."

"Well, Cammy Anderson," Her counterpart remarked, slowly, eyeing her, "I have a proposal for you. I'll keep you safe from Mojo and allow you to remain in the Archives, unpunished for whatever reason he comes up with…but you have to help me figure some things out. I need your knowledge. I need your – ahem – expertise about the Archives. Do we have a deal?"

She stared at him, taking in her options. It was either he knew who she was and he was going to play around with her a bit before he decided to do something or he didn't know whom she was and he was really going to use her. That or he had a suspicion of who she was, but wasn't sure. Whatever the case was, she had his attention. And by the looks of it, she had his attention for quite awhile. Finally, she murmured, "I'll help."

"Good. I'll meet you in the Archives tomorrow morning. At eight. Be there, _sharp_."

It was all he said before he walked away. She waited until she was absolutely sure that Brick was completely gone before she let a smirk grace her features. She got him. Hook, line and sinker. Her counterpart was keeping his attention on her. Still smirking, she said, "Phase C complete. I'm coming home after this."

 

* * *

 

 

Brick sat down in his seat, noticing the sets of eyes on him. Boomer leaned towards his brother and asked, "What was the deal with that chick? Seriously, like, how did she know all that crap? Hell, I don't even know half of what she said!"

The green ruff rolled his eyes next to him. "Boomer, you don't half the crap we say, period."

The blonde turned on his brother, glaring. "Careful, Butch, otherwise your gonna find a lot of unfriendly critters in your bed one unexpected morning." He paused and then added, "Besides, like you're much better than me. You barely understand the word 'encryption'."

"Do you even know how to spell it?" his brother shot back, crossing his arms over his chest and matching Boomer's glare.

The two brothers began squabbling amongst themselves, with Princess throwing in her own remarks every and now. Eventually, it turned into a battle royale between the three while Mojo gazed at Brick, intently and muttered, "Who was that girl, my son?"

"I don't know," Brick responded coldly. "She was eight when the attack happened, though, and was very smart. Middle school level of reading when you took over. And her dad was doctor who diagnosed her mother with Colitis when she was seven. That's all I got from her. Apparently, other than the information she gave, she doesn't know much more."

Mojo couldn't decide if he wanted to believe Brick or not. The boy was exceedingly good at lying and the Monkey King was having a hard time figuring out if Brick was lying to him or not. So, he stared at his son and waited for a telltale twitch. However, none came and Mojo was forced to accept the response. Nodding, he said gruffly, "Just keep an eye on her. I don't like humans getting too smart."

Brick nodded, somewhat relieved Mojo took the lie. Sure, Cammy Anderson was five when Mojo took over and he knew nothing about her family, but Mojo didn't need to know that. That was something that only he needed to know. He took a piece of cheesecake, turned to his brothers and snapped, "Shut up."


	13. The Gala

"I don't want to go to this damn gala either, Butch." Pause. "No. If I have to go, so do you." Pause. "Well find someone. Anyone…it doesn't matter who." Pause. "You're right, I haven't found anyone yet, but that doesn't mean I can't. I just won't." Pause. "Well, that's just too damn bad, isn't it? Again, if I have to, so do you." Pause. A growl of irritation. "Find someone, Butch. That's an order."

Blossom remained quiet as she listened to the one-sided conversation. It was 7:55 and she had just arrived at the Archives to hear Brick talking on his cell phone to Butch. She, at first, was going to walk up to him regardless, but when she heard the word's 'gala' she stopped and listened in on the conversation. It wasn't the fact that he was arguing with his brother that interested her or the fact said brother couldn't get a date, it was the fact that there was a gala. As in something that the girls would have to crash.

 _Yawn. "Well, that's something new. I think Boomer may have mentioned that_."

The auburn-haired teenage girl smiled at Bubbles' remark. The poor girl was tired, but she was still up so Blossom wouldn't be here alone with Brick, without any of her family knowing where she was. Buttercup had also volunteered to get up, but Bubbles and Blossom said she could sleep in. Buttercup wasted no time in falling back to sleep as soon as she got the okay, which was fine with Blossom. Buttercup was tired from some training she had done as soon as Blossom got back from the horse race event.

" _Lemme guess, before you say it,_ " Bubbles yawned once more. " _We're going to have to crash the party? Or at least wiggle our way in, right?_ "

"Yes," Blossom breathed quietly, hoping that Brick didn't hear her. She quickly collected herself, wiped the sleep from her eyes and moved away from her hiding spot and walked over to where the redheaded teenage boy was sitting down at his table. When she got there, she noticed he glanced at his cell phone's digital clock and then frowned. Knowing he was probably being picky at time, she said, "E-eight o'clock, as p-promised."

"Whatever," he scoffed as he got up from the table. "Just help me. We've got one hour."

She nodded and moved as he moved towards the 1995 shelf. He glanced at it, examining and thinking. He, she knew, was probably going over what he figured out yesterday and organizing what he needed to figure out today. Remaining silent, she waited until he said something. As much as she didn't want to give him any respect whatsoever and wanted to yell at him to hurry up (just to piss him off), she knew better and remained quiet. She needed to keep her cover. Only after ten minutes, she whispered, "What do y-you need me to f-find?"

He closed his eyes, obviously breaking out of his thoughts, and Blossom thought briefly he was going to yell at her for doing so. However, he merely turned his ruby eyes on her and said, "I need to figure out Professor John Utonium's background."

"Utonium?" she repeated her last name.

" _Yes_ , Utonium," he snapped at her. "I don't need asininity right now. Just find it."

She bit the inside of her cheek as she turned on her heel and headed further up the Archives to the 1970s. Asininity? What the hell! How dare he! She wasn't an idiot. She was just making sure that she heard correctly. That she heard him say something about her father, her creator. She had half a mind to call him every foul name she could think of, but kept quiet. She didn't need to get him mad at her this early. But seriously! Seriously! She was _far_ from asinine!

As soon as she got to the 1970s decade of the Archives, she traveled down the correct year her father was born in and found the records column. Going down to the 'u' section in the records column, she pulled out her father's records. She took a quick glance at it before she traveled back to Brick. He was waiting at his usual table, an impatient look upon his face. When she handed him her father's records, his face darkened considerably. "It's about time."

He glanced down at the collection of papers that made up John Utonium's record while she glared at him briefly, fighting back the urge to slap him. Calming herself down, she murmured in her Cammy persona, "S-sorry. I-I had t-trouble."

She seriously should have come up with a better character personality for Cammy. Nervous and scared just wasn't her. If anything, she was the furthest thing _away_ from nervous and scared. All she felt at that moment was pure anger towards her counterpart. He needed manners and needed to learn how speak semi-respectfully to someone. It was even worse that she couldn't say anything to him for fear of breaking character and getting Brick suspicious. No wonder Buttercup hated going undercover. She was the furthest thing from herself when she had to go in.

Blossom had stood in front of Brick for quite sometime, becoming increasingly bored. And while the teenage girl was getting extremely bored, Brick was too busy going over John Utonium's records. There really wasn't much. Just a birth certificate, social security number, his school records, and things along the lines. There was no marriage certificate. Nothing to show he was an actual father. There was hardly any reference to him creating the girls. Or at least, that's what Brick thought until he came up to Utonium's school records. He glanced at it and noticed there was a reference to a newspaper article.

He quickly wrote down the reference and handed it to his counterpart. "Go find this."

She nodded. As she walked away, she muttered underneath her breath, "Fetch, doggie. Go get the stick."

She felt like a golden retriever. He threw the stick and then commanded that she go and retrieve it. The leader of the three girls had honestly felt like she was some sort of dog, running back and forth between the stick and her master, playing fetch. She made a mental note to herself that if she _ever_ got a dog, she would not force the poor animal to play fetch that much. Hell, if she couldn't handle it, there was _no_ way a dog could like it that much.

As soon as she got to the correct year, she bent down to the newspaper filer. She found a folder within the filer that was marked _Townsville University_. She quickly went through the folder, grabbed the correct issue and then pulled out the newspaper. She frowned and quickly read over the article.

> **UTONIUM, FOOL OR GENIUS?  
>  By: Vanessa Rodriguez, Editor**
> 
> _John Utonium, senior at Townsville University, has been a well-known name since he stepped foot into college. Although he was never the rich, privileged student or the school's playboy, doesn't mean he's a household name here at the University. But what makes him so popular to be talked about amongst the students? Surely not his hair (though it_ is _very stylish)? Surely not his grades (though, once again, they are superb)? So, what makes Utonium famous here at school?_
> 
> _It all started a week ago when Utonium claimed he could bond several chemical elements and create an entire_ new _element_. _The response? Laughter. Yes, students at Townsville University laughed at the poor Science Major, saying he could never do it. So I posed this question last issue to all students: how do_ you _know he can't do it? There have been other scientists that have discovered other elements. Perhaps he would be one of the "Great One's". After all, his name_ is _perfect for a chemical._
> 
> _Again, the response from the students? Denial. They called him a fool. They called him mad. They called him stupid for wanting to create something new. Utonium's response to all this negative feedback? He had done it, ladies and gentlemen, students and teachers, friends and foes! As of this month, John Utonium had created a new chemical (though not an element) – Chemical X (or at least that's what he calls it)._
> 
> _What does Chemical X do? According to Utonium, he says he's only managed to figure out that Chemical X has the ability to enhance human genes. He had taken some human blood cells, mixed it with Chemical X and noted the different changes. What happened to the blood cells? Utonium said, "It enhanced them so much, it was almost unbelievable. It had enhanced the natural healing abilities the body has as well as tripled normal human strength!" He paused. "But don't get your hopes up. I want to make sure that the Chemical isn't harming to the human body."_
> 
> _Hey, John, do you plan on creating a cure for cancer next? Well, whether he does or not, I pose this next question to the students of Townsville University: Is John Utonium a fool or a genius? Because in_ my _humble opinion, Utonium is a genius! Way to go, John!_

She frowned. So her dad created the very essence of her existence in college? That was something good to know. She jumped to her feet and quickly ran back over to Brick. This was safe for him to know. There was no mentioning of her or her sisters. Besides, he was made up of the same chemical. What harm would it do for him to know that the very reason she was here was because her father had created the chemical that flowed through his blood stream? This was safe.

When she came to him, she handed him the article. He had another dark look on his face and she could only assume that he was upset she took forever. She made another mental note to read faster next time. So, she opened her mouth to give an excuse, but he cut her off, "I'm only keeping you around so you can help. Don't make me regret my decision."

Again, she held her tongue and said, "S-sorry."

 

* * *

 

 

As soon as Blossom had finished up with Brick, Bubbles and Buttercup had dispatched themselves. Buttercup (after getting a reprieve from Blossom) had immediately headed for the bar in hopes of finding Butch while Bubbles had headed for the palace to work. She was only working, of course, to _accidentally_ bump in Boomer. Blossom had remained in the Archives, looking over the piece of paper she got the previous day in the compartment and tried to match her father's handwriting so she could place a fake before Brick read it again. While Blossom forged the second half of the paper, Bubbles had busied herself with doing things around the palace.

She had found Mrs. Brown (who had screeched at her for not showing up to work on time – though Bubbles _never_ showed up for work) and had immediately started on dusting the palace. When she asked if she should clean the boys' private luxury room, Mrs. Brown had screeched she was incompetent because _of course_ they clean that room. Which, Bubbles didn't mind the yelling, because it helped her.

And so, while she was cleaning the boys' fun room, she heard someone walk in. She made no move to acknowledge them (after all, technically she was supposed to act like she was invisible) and continued doing her business. She had nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard Boomer's voice exclaim behind her, "Amber!"

The blonde had forgotten briefly that she was Amber and nearly didn't respond. Luckily, she remembered quick enough and turned around. There, she found Boomer grinning widely at her, his hands behind his back. His grin made Bubbles' face flush as she stammered out, "H-hi, Boomer. I didn't see you there."

He laughed. "Obviously."

Her face went even more red. "Oh."

For some reason, Bubbles had felt like a big fool at that moment. She said something she would normally say to her sisters and Boomer responded in a way her sisters would respond, but for some reason, she felt her temperature rising and her heartbeat quickening. And this time she knew it wasn't because of the fact that she was scared for her life or anxious. She was nervous. She was nervous she would say the wrong thing in front of him and look stupid. Of course, she merely brushed it off as her not wanting to blow her cover. She broke out of her thoughts when Boomer said, "Can I ask you something?"

She gave him a small smile. "Sure."

He nodded slowly and stared at her for a short moment. She stared back, waiting for the question. At first she was going to prod him to ask her, but took notice that he was trying to gather up all the right words. Finally, he gave a small, barely noticeable nod to himself. He removed his hands from behind his back and revealed a small blue flower. "Amber, will you go with me to this stupid gala I have to go to? I would like someone I can talk to there."

Bubbles barely caught the question because she was too busy staring at the blue flower. She had never received anything so sweet from anyone before – especially a boy. Especially a cute boy like Boomer. And that's where Bubbles halted her thoughts from going any further. _Cute?_ What in the world! He was the enemy! He wasn't supposed to be cute! He was supposed to be evil in her mind. Cute was the last thing that should pop into her head when she was anywhere _near_ him or his name was mentioned.

However, when she glanced up into his eyes, she felt the need to go like putty in his gaze. He _was_ cute, she reasoned. Just because he was the enemy didn't mean he was not an attractive guy. He _was_ and she was just going to have to deal with it. She was allowed to look. She just wasn't allowed to get involved. She was not allowed to have feelings. And she didn't have feelings for him. She was just finally noticing that he was an attractive guy.

"Yes," she breathed, struggling to block out her thoughts. "I'll go with you."

His grin widened and he nodded. Without even saying anything, he reached up and placed the blue flower into Bubbles' messy bun. To the blonde girl, it almost seemed like slow motion. She felt him placing the flower in her hair and her heart rate shot up once more. Everything slowed down even more as he pulled back and she looked into his eyes. He smiled at her and his fingers lightly grazed over her cheek. As soon as his fingertips touched her face (it was so light, it was almost like a feather), she felt the need to shiver, but controlled it.

And then he did something even worse to Bubbles. Something that almost made it hard for her to control the pounding heart, the shivers or the heat in her face. He leaned forward and kissed her cheek. It was something so small, so innocent, but something so big to Bubbles. She had never been kissed by anyone other than her father, Ms. Keane or her sisters. Sure, it was on the cheek, just like the way Boomer did just now, but the mere action of this cute guy doing that to her nearly sent poor Bubbles over the edge. When he pulled away, she felt like a spell was breaking. He smiled at her and murmured, "It's in the banquet hall in the palace. I'll give you clearance. See you in two days. You need to be here early so you could pick out your dress. We also have a hairdresser who can help you."

And with that, he walked away, leaving Bubbles to herself. As soon as he was out of the room, she released a breath she didn't know she was holding. She placed her shaky hands on her chest, trying to calm down her beating heart and bring back her emotions into her control. It was like all her nerves had gone haywire and it both scared and delighted Bubbles. When she finally gaining control over herself as much as she could, she said to her sisters, "I'm in. Hope to see you two at the gala."

 

* * *

 

 

"Did you miss me, babe?"

Buttercup pushed down the bile rising up in her throat and almost ran out of the bar as soon as she heard his voice. Sure, she was here to see him so she could hopefully get into the little gala Mojo was holding, but this was just ridiculous. She hated that she had to change her personality completely for this guy. Yet, despite all this, she swallowed her pride, glanced at him and said, "Like, nope. You totally didn't even cross my mind."

Butch smirked as he leaned against the counter. Buttercup fought the urge to say something and merely settled for raising an eyebrow. Was leaning against the counter his way of trying to seduce? Because it wasn't working. However, she remained quiet as he said, "That's just too bad because here I was thinking I would invite you to this big, extravagant ball, but I guess if you didn't miss me…"

She stared at him briefly, forgetting her alias. She didn't exactly get the point of the statement at first as Butch stared at her expectantly. Then it clicked. She was supposed to be upset because she couldn't go to the ball. Which meant no dressing up. Which meant no dresses. Which meant bad for Brittany. Which also meant Buttercup would have to act like she was upset. So, she put on her best pout and said, "Aww! But I, like, totally love balls! All the dresses and jewelry and me lookin' fab…"

"Great! Pick you up at seven here." He winked at her. "Don't be late."

 _Wait…what?_ Buttercup blinked and then realized she inadvertently told him she wanted to go. Okay…fine…whatever. That's what she wanted. She rolled her eyes and said gruffly, "Yeah, yeah. Just don't be late."

Butch glanced at her, briefly shocked. Did her accent just change? That was odd. She went from her total valley girl accent to something completely… _opposite_ of that. It was almost tomboy-ish with the way she said that. Like someone who didn't _care_ to go to something like this. He may have not been the brightest tool in the shed, but something seemed out of place in that exact moment. But he didn't do anything. Brick might have flipped over it, but not him. He remained calm – which was odd for him.

Buttercup took a sip of her drink, still feeling his eyes on her and wondered why he wasn't leaving. She gazed at him momentarily, letting herself work out the conversation when she recognized her mistake. She dropped her accent. So, to atone for her mistake, she looked at him sharply and said, " _What_? Don't look at me like that! I, like, totally cannot afford to be late! All the other girls will gossip and I don't want to be the center of _that_ kind of attention."

Butch kept his gaze on her briefly, his expression unreadable before he rolled his eyes and muttered underneath his breath as he left Buttercup alone, " _Girls_."

The disguised teenage girl released a breath before she muttered, "I'm in."

 

* * *

 

 

Blossom released a breath as she lowered herself into her chair. It had been a long day with Brick and she was still nowhere near getting him to having her ask her to this damned gala. Of course, she didn't know _how_ she was going to bring it up to him without being suspicious, but that still didn't matter. If she didn't act fast, she was going to loose her chance and that could provide to be bad. Though, in retrospect, not _as_ bad because her sisters still managed to get in. But the mere thought of her sitting in the control room, by herself, was not truly appealing.

She rubbed her closed eyes and then pinched the bridge of her nose. She felt ridiculous. She felt like a teenage girl worrying about ( _what was it…?_ ) Prom.

The redhead opened her eyes when she heard someone walking in and found her sisters sitting down in their respective chairs in the control room. Their expressions said a thousand words. Bubbles' face, though trying to appear serious, carried a certain amount of giddiness. She was happy, Blossom noted, about one of two things: either she was excited about going to the gala or _who_ she was going to the gala with. The leader preferred to think it was former. Meanwhile, Buttercup's face was etched with irritation. And there were no underlying emotions like Bubbles' expression had. In fact, her voice, when she spoke, carried an agitation, "We both managed to get into the party…type…thing. _Whatever_."

Blossom nodded. "Good."

"Did you get in?" the blonde asked. Blossom shook her head and Bubbles remained silent for awhile, obviously showing her (for lack of a better word) respect for her 'older' sister in not getting in. She suddenly released a squeal, "Boomer's going to take me to a dressing room where I get to pick out a dress, shoes and all that pretty stuff."

"Yeah, me too," Buttercup groaned. Again, silence enveloped them before the green-eyed girl asked, "But you _are_ going to get in, right, Leader Girl? _Please_ don't leave me alone with all of them…"

Blossom nodded again and gave her sister a slight smile. "Yeah, don't worry."

 

* * *

 

 

Over the next two days, the palace was in a tizzy about getting ready for the gala. Most the of the human servants seemed to drop everything and started on decorations, food and entertainment. Even Bubbles and Buttercup helped, taking in a mental layout of the palace as they did so. And while her sisters helped set up for the event, Brick had taken to Blossom becoming his personal servant because the others were too busy to help him half the time. So, she followed him around wherever he went, holding the papers he handed to her.

Blossom had become exhausted with all the walking around and had to hold her tongue whenever Brick would throw a snide remark towards her. She was a prideful person and having him degrade her was getting on her nerves. But she held out and that proved to be an advantage because he kept her with him. She even managed to get an idea of confidential parts of the palace.

On the day of the gala, though, she had resigned herself into thinking that she was not going to be able to go to the ball. It was a bit depressing because she knew she was going to have to stay in the control room with her teacher (Ms. Keane) and father, but accepted it nonetheless. Even as he led her into the dressing room (which looked like a mini dress shop) because Boomer called him over, she kept her mouth shut when she found her sisters looking for their dresses.

Bubbles shot her sister a sympathetic look when she entered the room as Boomer asked his brother, "Where's your date, man? Doesn't she have to pick out her dress because I know for a fact that human girls don't own things like this. Or did you take her earlier than us?"

Butch, who was sitting in the corner, watching Buttercup scan (with a secret disgusted look on her face) the dresses, snorted, "Take _what_ date earlier? He doesn't _have_ a date, Boomer!"

The leader of the Rowdyruff Boys glared at his brother, but kept his temper in check. He knew that Butch was just goading him on, but it did infuriate him to some extent because he knew his brother was right. He didn't have a date, but his pride wouldn't allow him to say such a thing out loud. Instead, he coldly replied, "I _do_ have a date. Just because I don't flaunt them like you, Butch, doesn't mean I don't have one."

"Oh yeah?" Butch challenged as he stood up, a smirk spreading across his face. "Then who is it? I know practically every girl here. Just name her. Prove you have a date."

The redheaded boy growled, knowing his brother was calling his bluff. It was foolish of him to forget Butch _did_ practically know every girl within a fifty-mile radius. He was about to call it quits (much to his chagrin) when he heard a small sneeze behind him. He glanced over his shoulder and watched as Cammy struggled to shake herself off from her sneeze. Smirking, he found his trump card. He turned back to his expectant brothers. "Cammy is my date."

Butch frowned and Boomer raised an eyebrow. Neither of them said anything as they shot their gaze over to the petite girl behind their brother. She looked at them and then at Brick. They waited for her to object before she let her face go red and nod, confirming Brick's statement. This caused Boomer to turn his attention back on Bubbles while Butch grumbled underneath his breath and sat back down in his corner.

Brick turned to her, grabbed the papers that were currently in her hands, and nodded towards the dresses. "Go pick out a dress." She hesitated briefly and he rolled his eyes. " _Now_."

She quickly walked towards the dresses. As the three boys began talking amongst themselves, she glanced at Bubbles and Buttercup, a knowing glint in her eye.

She was in.

 

* * *

 

 

**You are cordially invited to  
** _His Highness_ _'s 12_ _th_ _Annual Gala Jubilee  
_ **In honor of**   
_His Majesty's Twelfth Year on the throne_

"Why do girls take _forever_ to get dressed?" grumbled Butch as he paced. All three boys were near the grand staircase that led into the party. Down another flight of stairs, music and talking could be heard from the gala. All of Mojo's kings, courtiers, human sponsors and his personal doctors were downstairs, enjoying the festivities while the Rowdyruff Boys were up the stairs, waiting for their dates.

After the girls had picked out their dresses and accessories, Boomer insisted that he take the girls to their 'Royal' hairdresser. After all, Anya had been complaining she had been working on boys for too long and wanted to work on girls once more. Thus, Boomer pleased Anya (she was good and faithful servant, after all) by taking the three girls to her. Her face had lit up when she saw the girls and immediately ushered the boys out, insisting she needed space and time. Now, here they were, waiting for the girls.

"Patience, Butch," warned Boomer. Butch snorted and continued pacing. When the boy ignored him, the blonde ruff glanced at his leader and cried out, "Tell him something! He's going to drive himself up the wall!"

Brick, who was leaning against the stair's rail, his hands in his pockets, snorted. "Let him."

Boomer exhaled a deep breath, knowing he was going to get nowhere with his brothers and quietly waited for his date. They had waited another five more minutes when the sound of a door opening caught their attention. They glanced up and found Bubbles descending the stairs, her face blessed with a beaming smile.

Her dress was fairly simple, but rather flattering. It was an aqua blue, matching her eyes that met up towards the base of her neck and then split to tie around her neck. It revealed her shoulders and back elegantly and small rhinestones and diamonds lined along the top of the dress. Her dark hair was tied up into a simple up-do, her bangs sweeping off to the side and pulled back into an elegant bun. All in all, in Boomer's eyes, Amber was gorgeous. He held out his arm and she slipped her gloved hand around it as he said, "My Lady."

"Kind sir," She giggled as the two took off. Butch snorted at the exchanged. Bubbles stopped walking, glanced over her shoulder and called out to the two remaining boys. "Brittany and Cameron should be here shortly."

And with that, she took off towards the dance with Boomer. The two boys only waited for a minute before Brittany stumbled out, her face red with irritation. Spaghetti-strapped that V-necked down to the middle of her chest, her dress was embellished enough for Butch to give her a real smile. Of course, it did help that the green dressed accented her curves. He even couldn't wait to run his hands through the soft red curls that fell gracefully around her shoulders (and he was not a fan of redheads). When she reached him, he wiggled his eyebrows. "Ready for me to show you a good time, sweets?"

Buttercup bit back a remark before she forced a half smile and squeaked out, "Like, sure." And as they began walking away, she muttered underneath her breath, making sure the boys couldn't hear her, "Even if you could…which I doubt."

Brick expected Cammy to follow soon after Brittany, but it ended up that he had to wait longer. He was beginning to get impatient as he moved away from where he was leaning to glance down at the party. He sighed out in impatience as he noticed Boomer and Amber near the food and Butch and Brittany standing in the corner, his brother obviously trying to flirt and failing miserably. He even caught the eye of Mojo, who shot him a look, clearly stating he needed to hurry. He glanced down at his watch.

_11:45_

He was about to loose all patience when he heard the _click_ of the door, signaling someone was walking through. He turned around and was bit shocked at what he saw.

It was almost a complete transformation. While Amber and Brittany did clean up from their servants' clothes, they still carried the graceful and well-kept features. Cammy, however, looked like she had spent time in the dusty Archives almost most of her life. Her hair had been ragged, tangled and pulled back. Even her face carried the slightly darkened feature of dust covering her face and her fingernails were short and dry. However, this girl descending the stairs now was different. He couldn't believe it was Cammy.

Her matted hair was combed back into an elegant ponytail, her auburn hair curled to cascade down her back. A couple of loose strands swept across her face and behind her left ear and the shine of her hair, alone, could have lit up the room. Her dress, however, was slightly more conservative than the other two girls. It was a modest, baby pink, spaghetti-strapped dress. It exquisitely revealed her back, though two twisted, crisscrossed cords ran along.

And when Brick took her hand in his, he could feel the softness and noted the French manicure that she had received. All in all (though he would never admit it out loud), she was breathtaking. She gave him a soft smile and murmured in a ladylike fashion, "Forgive me for taking so long."

Brick, for the first time ever, didn't have the heart to give a harsh remark. Instead he took her hand, wrapped it around his elbow and began leading her down to the gala as he murmured back, "Don't worry about it. You're here now."

Blossom stared at him, surprised, but nodded nonetheless. She turned her gaze forward as both counterparts made their way down the stairs. As they descended the stairs, the auburn-haired teenager managed to make eye contact with Bubbles and Buttercup. Bubbles winked at her before the disguised blonde turned her attention back onto her counterpart. Buttercup, however, merely sent a glare in her sister's direction. She was not happy about being there.

She continued to examine the glamour of the celebration. Although the meaning behind the party was somewhat twisted and morbid, the beauty of the women and charm of the gentlemen took her breath away. While she was focused and knew she was not here to relax, she couldn't help but hope to return to such a setting, but as Blossom Utonium and not Cammy Anderson. And as she gazed at the various couples, she caught the gaze of one livid Princess Morebucks. She turned away, realizing that she just made an enemy out of the girl. Trying her best to ignore the girl, she immersed herself in the beautiful ice sculptures of swans. Brick must have caught her staring because he leaned forward and whispered in her ear, "Do you like it?"

She could only nod because she had no words. A soft waltz came and the lights dimmed slightly. Several couples – including Boomer and Bubbles – had taken to the floor. Blossom had remained at Brick's side, awkward and not knowing what to say. They watched the glistening couples dance around the room before Brick cleared his throat and began walking towards the dance floor. Immediately, Blossom positioned herself for the waltz. She had no idea what she was doing. Bubbles was good with this kind of thing. She glanced up at Brick, her face flushed. "I have no idea how to dance."

"Just follow my lead," Brick murmured as he drew her closer to him, her face flushing at the closeness the two had, and the pair began dancing. In quick light steps, they began moving gracefully around the dance floor. Blossom, every few counts or so, would glance down at her feet, making sure she didn't step on his toes before she heard him whisper, "Relax. Don't think."

"That's a little hard to do for me," She muttered underneath her breath to herself. She closed her eyes and allowed herself to try and feel the movements. As she did so, she suddenly felt the easiness of the feeling of the waltz take hold of her. She opened her eyes once more when she was settled. "You dance very well. I didn't expect someone like you to – " she stopped speaking when she realized what she said and bit her bottom lip. "Forgive me."

Brick turned his gaze down at her flushed face and rose an eyebrow. "What do you mean 'someone like me'?" Blossom shook her head rapidly, trying to move on from the subject, but the leader of the Rowdyruff boys wasn't about to leave it alone. "Tell me, Cammy. And you may do so freely without fear of retribution."

Blossom remained silent, deciding on whether or not to answer, before she quietly spoke in a soft tone, "What I mean to say is someone who is so _intimidating_. One would think that the Rowdyruff Boys – the fiercest group known to mankind – wouldn't be able to do (for lack of a better word) _girly_ things like dancing. Especially the _leader_ of the Rowdyruff boys, no less. To me, that would appear to be a trivial matter to one such as yourself who is always busy with research."

The redheaded ruff silenced himself to the girl. She was an intelligent one and very analytical. Had this been several weeks ago, he would have been suspicious of her, but since he spent the past couple of days with her, he knew of her intelligence. He, though, was impressed with her ability to speak with him with such strength in her voice. She usually stuttered and now she wasn't. "You're not stuttering."

"O-oh!" she gasped, her cheeks reddening gracefully. "I-it appeared that I d-did."

"Don't stutter," he whispered back. "You sound better when you don't."

"Okay," she murmured. Silence enveloped them as they let the music take them away. Blossom had never felt more graceful than she had at that moment. Somehow, being led around the floor with Brick changed her. Or at least it changed the persona of Cammy. In truth, Blossom had forgotten to stutter when she was talking to Brick, but luckily he brushed it off as nothing. She had found it odd that he was brushing it off without being suspicious, but didn't question it. As the waltz ended, Blossom remembered what she was here for. She was not here to join in on the festivities. Glancing up at Brick, she said, "I need to go to the ladies room."

Brick nodded. "Come on. I'll show you where it is."

He began leading her towards the restrooms and as he did so, Blossom once again, secretly, caught the eyes of Buttercup. The auburn-haired leader looked around for Bubbles when she noticed that her sister was nowhere to be seen and that Boomer was talking with Butch. The leader of the three girls glanced at Buttercup again and noticed that her sister shot her green eyes towards the entrance of the room. This confirmed Blossom's suspicions. Bubbles was already initiating the plan by sneaking towards where the security room would be.

 

* * *

 

 

Bubbles had slipped away from Boomer under the pretense that she had ripped her dress (she even managed to cut a short slit into the seam of the dress) and needed one of the dressmakers to quickly fix it. Boomer, gullibly, believed her and allowed her to leave the room without an escort after the blonde reassured him that she knew the dressmaker personally. And once she cleared the room, she, instead, changed directions and headed towards the security room. As she did so, she made sure she remained out of sight of any cameras that were placed along her path.

When she reached the room, she knocked on the door and waited within the shadows. The two steel doors slid open and a chimpanzee guard stepped out, looking for someone. As soon as he stepped far enough, Bubbles quickly kicked him in the face, knocking the monkey out. Pulling him off to the side where no one could see the unconscious ape, she quickly moved towards the security room when she noticed the steel doors sliding closed.

When she slipped into the room, she noticed only one more monkey guard. She quietly sneaked up to him and, without him even knowing what hit him, she grabbed both sides of his head and made a quick jerky movement. She moved away slightly, letting him fall unconscious. As soon as she was done, she sat down on one of the computer's chairs.

She brought her hand up to her earrings and took it out of her ear. She glanced at it briefly before she placed it into the computer. In what seemed like a fancy silver earring was really a disk. She quickly hacked into the computer, found the restroom Blossom was supposed to be in and replaced the security footage of that evening with footage from another gala night that they managed to obtain. Once she replaced the footage, she whispered into her ear-piece, "Footage changed. Go in Blossom."

And with that said, she quickly opened the steel doors, grabbed the unconscious chimpanzee outside and placed him in his chair. She fixed the two unconscious apes to make it look like they were still up and watching the security tapes. Her task done, she slipped out of the room and move, stealthily, back towards the gala.

 

* * *

 

 

" _Footage changed. Go in Blossom_."

The disguised leader of the three girls waited until she was cleared before she headed into the bathroom and began looking at the ceiling. When she found a vent, she went into the stall that was located directly under it. Standing on the toilet (with some difficulty because of her heels), she quickly moved the cover of the vent and climbed in. She had memorized the air vent passageways and began moving in the direction she needed – towards the computer mainframe.

And why couldn't Bubbles sneak into the computer mainframe like she had with the security room? Because there were so many intricate security devices that could only be shut down from inside the mainframe or by Mojo and his three sons. Sending any one of the girls would have been a big risk. So, going through the vents was the one option that was also the safest.

When she had reached the computer mainframe, she opened the vent's cover and slipped in. Luckily, there were no guards in there because Mojo foolishly believed that no one could get into the room. When she was in, she placed herself in the chair and began hacking into the computer. She made sure to save what everything looked like within the computer in case Brick decided to come and check the computers out. She placed several commands into the computer before she replaced all the firewalls and security measures back into the monitor.

Getting up, she got back into the vents and moved back towards the bathroom. As soon as she was back into the restroom stall and replaced the air vent cover over the toilet back, she brought a watch from her purse that she was carrying. With a determined look on her face, she thought, _Only one more minute. I better get out of here before Brick gets suspicious…_

She placed the watch back into her purse and quickly exited the room. Outside the room, leaning against the wall, was Brick, waiting patiently. She smiled at him and said, "Sorry I took so long. The dress is a little hard to cooperate with."

He grunted and merely led her back towards where his brothers were. As they reached the two other boys she noticed that Bubbles was already there, explaining about how quickly the dressmaker mended her ripped dress. The moment that the three brothers and their dates met up, the entire crowd attending the gala could be heard counting down towards the New Year.

" _5_!"

Blossom made eye contact with Bubbles.

" _4_!"

She then glanced at Buttercup.

" _3_!"

" _2_!"

" _1_!"

And then the lights around the world went out.


	14. To Know My Enemy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are some references to the Second World War! Take Note of them, please.
> 
> \- 'Final Solution': Hitler's plan of racial extermination. It included his plans of the labor camps, death camps (such as the famous Auschwitz-Birkenau), and the gas chambers (which killed millions). Many were killed because of Hitler's plan to get rid of people he deemed inferior such as (most famously) the Jewish people, gypsies, disabled people, and so on. It is approximated that there had been, at least, six million people killed because of the horrific 'Final Solution'.
> 
> \- The Holocaust: While the 'Final Solution' was the term used to describe Hitler's plans, the Holocaust is the term used to describe the era of the Final Solution. The Holocaust – officially – overlapped the Second World War (1939 - 1945). Whenever you learn of the persecution of the Jewish culture and other peoples that suffered underneath Hitler's cruel thumb, it is commonly the Holocaust they are describing.
> 
> \- The Greatest Generation: A term coined for the generation that lived through and fought in the Second World War. It was given to them because many (women, men, and children) sacrificed daily comforts to protect the innocent and save thousands of peoples everywhere.

Panic ensued.

Shouting followed.

And chaos was its result.

The guests of the gala starting screaming the moment that the lights went out around them, the girls could feel the vibrations of people scrambling to see what was going on and how to fix it. They were all like animals, acting crazy because of the lights turning out. Ironically enough, half of the guests were animals, which possibly added to the hectic atmosphere of the gala.

At first the girls didn't know how to act. They knew what was going on and didn't want to appear to be too obvious, but they didn't want to reduce themselves to the idiocy of the other guests. Finally, as usual, Blossom took action and stumbled over to Brick without tripping to the best of her ability. Her eyes were sharper than a normal human's and adjusted quickly to the darkness. She grabbed a hold of Brick's hand and murmured hastily, as if scared and panicked, "What happened?"

"I don't know," Brick grumbled, taking notice that her hand was in his, but not pulling away. His own eyes scanned the area and noticed many of the guests tripping over themselves. He frowned at the ludicrous actions of the primates and humans and didn't pity them in the least. He ignored them, however, as he continued to search for Mojo within the mess. When he finally did, he could barely make out the scowl on his creator's face. He turned his gaze back to the worried girl next to him. "As stupid and as obvious as this sounds, this was not part of the program."

Blossom feigned disbelief. "Someone turned out the lights? What for?"

The red ruff frowned and turned away. What for, indeed. He was baffled as to what the purpose of turning out the lights could be and that irritated him a little. His temper started to rise and he began clenching his fists, squeezing Blossom's hand in the process. She, even though it didn't really hurt, whimpered out in pain and he loosened the grip, muttering, "Sorry."

"It's okay," she murmured.

Brick sighed. He knew with her at his side, he couldn't operate well. He didn't want to drag her all over the place with a blindfold over her face (because she _would_ have to wear one), but he also didn't want to just leave her here with all the idiots running around and a possible enemy within the palace. He glanced over at his brothers and, through the dark, noticed the same complicated expressions on their faces. Finally, he glanced at 'Cammy' and said, "Look, I'm going to take you back to the Archives. Stay there until I get you. After that, we'll see what happens. I'll probably have to take you to give back the dress and whatnot."

Blossom nodded. After they said their polite and hasty goodbye to anyone they could, Brick quickly took her back to the Archives, leading her, she noticed, by the waist. Once she was there, she quickly nestled herself in the seat her counterpart usually occupied while she waited for Brick to return. It had actually taken over an hour before he returned and she spent most of her time eyeing her new French manicure. By that point, Blossom was completely bored and was actually thrilled to see the return of the leader of the Rowdyruff Boys.

But he, however, didn't look as ecstatic as she did. Brick looked extremely tired and irritated. Instead of asking him questions, she chose to remain quiet as he grabbed her gently by the arm and quietly began leading her out of the Archives over to where the Dresser was. When they were halfway there, Brick mumbled underneath his breath, "We didn't find him and Mojo canceled the gala for the rest of the evening."

Blossom, again, murmured, "I'm sorry."

The redheaded teenage boy shrugged and didn't say anymore. They walked in silence all the way to the Dresser and Blossom was relieved that it appeared like they couldn't find any evidence that it was Bubbles and herself who caused the mayhem. As long as it remained like that, the girls were safe from harm. And she was also relieved when they got to the Dressers because it meant a break from the horrible three-inch heels she was wearing.

 

* * *

 

 

And during that hour that Blossom had waited for Brick to return, the redheaded leader of the Rowdyruff Boys had been searching for a culprit of the worldwide shut down with his brothers. And while the three boys and Mojo couldn't find anyone on the premises, they had also thought to check the security cameras. However, when they went to the security room, they found the two unconscious guards.

It was at that point that Mojo had started growling.

And his temper became even worse when Boomer found it impossible to open the doors to Central Control. He had started muttering underneath his breath and stalked out of the room afterwards. It had only taken a couple of seconds more before crashing could be heard and the three boys could only assume that their creator was throwing his animalistic temper tantrum.

When Brick had explained to Mojo that it would be impossible to open the doors ("I told you that you shouldn't have used the toughest metal for these doors! _We_ can't even break it!"), Mojo lost it. Upset, he screeched at the boys that he wanted the person who messed with his security system found. After which, he stormed out of the room once more and was never heard from again the rest of the night. Boomer had gone back to his room, Butch had flown off to the bar and Brick had gone back to retrieve 'Cammy'.

Once 'Cammy' had been restored to her former glory (her hair pulled back into a lower ponytail, her servants clothes back on, etc.), Brick had brought her back down to the Archives and then traveled back up to his room. As soon as he settled into his bed, his thoughts about that evening's events had crossed through his mind.

He was curious about who could have broken into the palace without detection and managed to shut down the security system and cause it to falter. It also infuriated him that the culprit was in the palace and managed to pull off everything with Brick unaware of the happenings within his own home. And even worse, he had somewhat allowed Cammy to distract him! He should have been paying attention to his surroundings and all he was paying attention to was her! It was foolish and careless of him!

And with the thought of Cammy, he allowed his sleepy thoughts to roll over to his gala date. She had been completely different from the girl he was used to helping him down at the Archives. Sure, she had changed physically, but her own personality had changed somewhat today. Not in a bad way, he thought, but in a good way. She had remained her quiet, meek self, but there was also a silent strength tonight. Maybe, he thought, perhaps her confidence level had risen because of her physical appearance.

And her change in clothes and style had been nice as well.

 

* * *

 

 

The mere fact that Mojo still could not figure out for the life of him who was causing upheaval in his kingdom a day later had put him in a bad mood. But what had really sent him over the edge was the fact that the boys couldn't figure it out either. Or, more specifically, Brick couldn't figure anything out. The red ruff had tried everything to get into the room, but so far hadn't managed to get in. Which, of course, made Mojo's mood even worse because that meant two things: one, the enemy was at the gala or two, there was a "spy" within his home. And that led them all to the same conclusion: this spy was human. And a smart human.

Brick had tried constantly to pinpoint which human was doing this to their computers and lifestyle, but none of the humans seemed to know what was going on. Eventually it got to three people with who it could be: Amber, Brittany or, worse, Cammy. Brick, to some extent, had been extremely suspicious of Cammy. The girl was intelligent, he knew. She taught herself to read. She knew medical terms. She easily knew her way around the palace. After all, she practically slept in the Archives.

The only thing that bugged him, though, was the fact that she was with him the whole night. Except for that one time she went to the restroom. But he saw her go into the bathroom. Hell, he waited at the door for her. And then she had spent the rest of the night with him. He remembered. Boy, how he remembered. It couldn't possibly be her, could it? Was it really Cammy? But how would she have sneaked from the bathroom to Central Control (the Computer Mainframe) without him noticing? No way a puny girl like her could do that.

But despite his disbelief, he knew he couldn't rule her out.

So, when he got down to the Archives for their normal routine of going through files and records, his mood was probably far worse than Mojo's. If it was Cammy, he knew he would have to nip the problem in the bud. As soon as he entered the room, he made a quick beeline for his usual table, where he found Cammy silently waiting, her hazel eyes looking up at the ceiling, bored.

She didn't even notice him until he roughly grabbed her by the arm, dragged her out of her seat and slammed her against the nearest wall. She gasped out, her breath being knocked out of her as Brick pinned both his arms on either side of her. She struggled to get a breath of air as he growled at her, "What the hell did you do to the systems, Cammy?"

Blossom's eyes widened. "N-nothing! Why would I do a-anything to it?"

"Cut the nervous crap," he hissed. "You and I both know you're capable of speaking to me without the stuttering. You've done it before. You did it at the gala."

"I know!" she cried out as soon as she caught a glimpse of his fierce expression. What in the world? How in the world had he figured out it was her? Sure, he thought it was Cammy that had placed the virus, but still…he knew. Blossom immediately had to think up an answer. "But I didn't do anything to it! The lights and computers all shut down while we were at the gala! I was with you the entire time!"

A flash of Cammy in her evening gown and her hair up had entered Brick's mind. Of course he knew she was with him. He remembered being amazed at how the simple girl in front of him had transformed into a sophisticated woman that night. From the low ponytail that hid her face to the up-do that had done nothing but show off her hair and her eyes. Of course he remembered. He frowned deeper. "Then how come I don't believe you?"

" _I didn't do anything_!" she yelled at him. "You have to believe me!"

The red ruff narrowed his eyes and leaned towards her more. She moved back. "The problem is, Cammy, I _don't_ believe you. You're too smart for your own good. Maybe it's because of the fact you spent so much time in this place or may it's because you have an ulterior motive, but either way, you're _too damn smart_."

Blossom's heart pounded in fear. This was it. Brick was going to figure it out. He was going to say something about her and her sisters. The mission was over and they were so close. And it was over. Right now. Brick, however, just continued, "I'm going to be watching you closely, Cammy. You can be sure of that. You make _one_ mistake and you won't have the chance to even realize you made the mistake because I'm going to be there."

She just nodded slowly, taking in his threat. He growled out his frustration and pulled himself away from Blossom, believing that he had gotten nowhere with her. The problem was, Blossom knew, he had no idea how close he was to the truth.

 

* * *

 

 

To say that the Monkey King was in a bad mood was an understatement. He was in the worst mood _ever_. In fact, the only one who could _touch_ the severity of the bad mood was Brick and that was simply because the leader of the Rowdyruff Boys was under a lot of pressure. However, Mojo was angry due to the fact that a culprit had not been capture by this point. In fact, there were no leads! And that did not sit well with Mojo Jojo.

But, something had kept Mojo occupied and from going over the edge.

Mojo had spent _hours_ in his lab on top of the volcano. What he was doing in this lab, no one knew. Not even _Brick_ knew what was going on. After all, it was too dangerous if the leader of the Rowdyruff Boys knew of Mojo's plans. Yes, too dangerous. Mojo felt, though, that this plan was his best yet; next to the ultimate success of taking over the world. The Monkey King merely cackled. Once he pulled off this plan, he would be unstoppable.

 

* * *

 

 

"Welcome, girls," John said as soon as the girls walked into the conference room a week later. Blossom and Buttercup exchanged somewhat bitter glances as they sat down while Bubbles had merely bounced over to her seat, no qualms in her heart. On either side of him was Ms. Bellum and Ms. Keane, solemn looks upon their faces. Immediately, the girls sensed the importance of this mission and it was a vibe that Blossom did not completely like.

"What's up?" Bubbles chirped as soon as her sisters sat down beside her, ignoring the tense atmosphere.

John gazed at the girls, his eyes flickering over each of the faces of the girls as he did so. He did, however, pause when he turned his eyes on Blossom. He reserved an apprehensive look for her as soon as their eyes locked. The tension and turbulent feelings between father and daughter was still between the two. He acknowledged the glare she sent his way. Taking a deep breath, he said, "I have a mission for you."

"Obviously," snorted Buttercup.

John ignored her. "We have recently discovered the whereabouts of a newer, potential danger to the human race."

The girls rose an eyebrow as Ms. Keane pressed a button and a computer popped on. On the screen was a picture of the door that had caught Buttercup and Blossom's attention when Bubbles had gone in to place the mini cameras in their spots. Scans had come up that it was an empty janitor's closet, but Buttercup had insisted that it was something more. The three girls exchanged glances as the professor continued on.

"We have reason to believe that Mojo is harboring something in this one room. Unfortunately, we can't seem to hack into any computer or security system in this room so we aren't sure," John explained, "What we are sure of, though, is that there _is_ something in there."

Blossom leaned back in her seat. "Why?"

John nodded at Ms. Keane and the teacher began speaking. "This room must be important to Mojo and the Boys because it's running on its own – separately from Central Control. In fact, it seems like the global power failure hadn't even touched this room. What we need you girls to do is break into this room and collect any information about what Mojo may be up to."

"The room is protected by a fingerprint scanner at the front," Ms. Bellum picked up where the teacher left off. "And inside, we suspect that there will be a security system and camera in there. We're not sure since we can't get any other information on it. It's imperative, though, that you girls are prepared for anything in that room; from security beams to watchdogs. I hate having to send you girls in there blind, but…"

Blossom nodded and glanced at her two sisters. Buttercup shrugged and then turned her gaze on to Bubbles. The redheaded leader also glanced at her blonde sister and Bubbles merely nodded. When they had finished their silent conversation, Bubbles turned back to her father and creator and said, "I'll do it."

John gave a curt nod, "Good."

"And we'll be there on the outside," Blossom finished for her sister, "Brick expects me to arrive at the Archives anyway. He's still trying to figure out on whether or not we're alive. So far, he's got nothing and still requires my assistance."

A flash of the argument between her and Brick had crossed her mind, but she kept it to herself. Yes, he had suspected her of breaking into the main control room, but it was nothing too serious. Nothing, at least she figured, that anyone needed to know. And when the three sisters got the approval of Professor Utonium, the girls dispersed and went to prepare for their mission.

As Buttercup headed towards her room, Bubbles jogged up to Blossom and said, "Hey, Blossom, I know that turning off everything was important, but exactly did you do? And, more importantly, was the purpose of this?"

Blossom paused in her walking. "Well, we turned off three things: the security, archival and communication systems."

"Okay," Bubbles replied slowly as the two resumed walking, side by side. "Then what is up with the lights going out? Was that necessary? I mean, all it did was alert everyone that we did something. Couldn't have that been avoided altogether?"

The leader of the girls sighed. "I wish. According to my research, most of the systems – such as archival and _power_ – are connected to Central Control. Rather foolish of Mojo to put everything in one place rather than spreading it out, but I'm guessing that he's a bit paranoid of the others and the Rowdyruff Boys. The lights simply turned out because of the virus. The virus needed an automatic reboot, so when the computers shut off so the virus could begin its work, the lights inadvertently turned off.

"As for the other systems, before you ask, I chose them for these specific reasons. The security was so the three of us could move freely throughout the world without having to fear about security cameras or systems. Of course, that doesn't mean that the three of us can get lazy with our work, but it takes some of the pressure off of us.

"The archival systems was because I figured that Brick, eventually, would try and run background checks on the three of us. Shutting them down was simply to slow him down for awhile so we don't have to worry about him finding out about us. Besides, everything he's looking at would have to go through me so I can censor what he's looking at.

"And finally, the communications systems. While it seems somewhat silly to turn off the phones and emails, it actually helps keep all the regional lords in the dark with each other. It would slow news down. Tongues will wag if someone sees us, so I decided that shutting off the phones would force them to write it in letters. That, in turn, would make it easier for us to intercept the letter without having to worry about it being traced back to us."

Once Blossom finished, she glanced at Bubbles, checking to see if she was following. The blonde's face was scrunched up in thought before it relaxed and she nodded, a small smile gracing her pixie-like features. "Yeah, I guess that makes sense."

"Glad it does," replied the redhead.

There was a pause between the two sisters before Bubbles said, "Who knew Mojo would be his own downfall."

"Seriously, huh?"

 

* * *

 

 

"So are you going?"

Brick blinked out of his thoughts and glanced at his brothers. They were both staring at him expectantly, waiting for a response he did not have the answer to. Why? He was too busy going over the argument between him and Cammy. Sure, she had been convincing in the fact that she had nothing to do with break-in, but there was something in his gut that told him to not trust her. That she _was_ involved in the system crash around the world. But…

…He didn't want to believe it.

Her personality just didn't fit. She didn't seem confident or witty enough to break into the computer mainframe room in _that short of time from the bathroom_. She would have to know where everything was and she just spent too much time in the Archives. Not to mention she was not fast enough. She would have to have special training to be that fast – or at least have his super-powers, which was a ridiculous thought in itself.

A flash of Cammy in her evening dress appeared in his mind as he tried to figure out ways that she could have completed that mission without training or powers. He growled out in frustration as he ran his hands through his hair. His mind was clouded because of her and his thoughts were not making any more sense. It was irritating! Had this been a month ago, he would have pinpointed the suspect so quick that he wouldn't be in this predicament and the computers would be up and running again.

"Brick?"

He turned his ruby eyes over to Boomer, who was looking at him confused. "What?"

"Are you going?" Boomer asked again. When Brick shot him a blank look, the blonde sighed and repeated, "Mojo said that there is a human carnival going on tomorrow night. He wants us to patrol it so there aren't any riots and because he thinks that the suspect will be there. But he wants us to take dates so it doesn't look like we're being obvious. I'm taking Amber and Butch is taking Brittany. Are you going?"

Brick sighed and ran his hands through his hair again. "I don't know…"

"Aw, c'mon, Brick," Boomer whined.

"Eh, leave him," Butch snorted, "He's a wuss who doesn't do stuff like this."

Now, Brick was not one to rise to uncouth challenges such as those, but he had been irritated lately and he needed a release to said irritation. So, he glared at his brother and muttered out, "I _am not_ a wuss, Butch."

The green ruff stretched out on the sofa. "Coulda fooled me."

"I'm _not_."

"Then prove it," Butch smirked. "Go out to the carnival."

The leader of the Rowdyruff boys stood up from his seat and moved over to his lounging brother. He crossed his arms over his chest and replied in a tight voice, "Oh yeah, smartass, just who am I suppose to go with? I'm not a man-whore like you who has fifty girlfriends."

Butch laughed at the truthful insinuation while Boomer spoke up, "Cameron? Or was it Cammy?"

Brick froze at the mention of Cammy's name and didn't say anything. He truthfully didn't want to anywhere near the girl at the moment because of the fact that she clouded his judgement and that wouldn't be good for a mission like this. But, he knew if he didn't say 'yes' than his brothers would hold that on him forever. That he was being a wuss. He tried to think of ways of getting out of that situation, but couldn't come up with one.

Finally, he came up with something that made him feel better: he would take her to keep an eye on Cammy. She was clearly a suspect and good one at that. If he took her and kept her within his sight, she couldn't do anything. And besides, if she was the culprit, she would eventually slip up, he figured. So, he rolled his eyes at his hopeful blonde brother and the other laughing brother and said, "Fine. I'll take her."

 

* * *

 

 

Sneaking into Mojo's palace was not difficult. When Blossom had downloaded the schematics of Townsville Hall, she had seen several entry points. The girls used these unguarded entry points when they needed to break in without suspicion. At first, when the girls learned to use these entrances, security alarms had been an issue. But with the worldwide power failure, it made breaking and entering that much easier for the super-charged teenage girls. Now, it was a cakewalk.

So when Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup arrived on the scene two days after this plan had been put into action, they were completely relaxed. Especially since it was five in the morning and not a soul on the West Coast was awake. As they walked towards Blossom's entrance to the Archives, Buttercup glanced over her shoulder, towards her sister. "Hey, Leader Girl, do you realize that we have never set foot into the slave quarters? What's up with that?"

"Too risky," The leader replied as she moved some of the shrubbery that was concealing her entrance from outsiders. Her hands, as she moved the small bush, became wet from the morning dew and her breath, as well, puffed as her body's heat collided with the cold air. "I mean, what if someone recognized us? We can't afford to make a mistake like that."

"Oh," came the emerald-eyed girl's response. She paused only briefly, watching her sister before she asked another question. "What about Miyuki? Why haven't we gone to save her yet? Especially with the power failure?"

Blossom shook her head. "Priorities."

The 'middle' child gave her sister an incredulous stare. "We're not saving her because she isn't a _priority_?"

Blossom sighed heavily, tired. "Please, Buttercup, don't give a hard time about this."

" _Why not_?"

Bubbles chose to pipe up this time. "She has her reasons."

" _Lousy_ reasons," muttered the tomboy, agitated, as she crossed her arms over her chest and glared at her two teammates and family members.

"Look, Buttercup," snapped the self-proclaimed genius. "We're not saving Miyuki now because it's just as risky as us waltzing into the Townsville slave quarters. What if a guard or collaborator saw us and reported it to Mojo or the boys? Besides, we may have stopped all means of immediate communication, but that does not mean mouths can't talk. Just because the systems are down right now, doesn't mean we can be lazy. Miyuki's strong, okay?"

"What if she says something?" Buttercup asked. "About us?"

Bubbles frowned and crossed her arms over her chest, imitating her sister's signature stance. "Do you have that little faith in Miyuki? I don't think she'll say anything. No matter what happens to her, I believe that she'll stay silent. Don't worry about her, Buttercup."

"No, I'm just saying," sighed the green-clad girl. "I mean, Blossom's paranoid as it is. You would think that she would be freaking out about this."

Blossom, who had finished opening the passage, glanced at her tomboyish sister and frowned. "Stop talking about me like I'm not here." She paused momentarily. "And I am not paranoid, I'm _prepared_. There's a difference between the two."

Both Bubbles and Buttercup exchanged doubtful glances. "Uh, yeah, you are."

"Oh, whatever," The redhead as she rolled her eyes. She crawled through the passage, not saying anything more to the two other girls. The issue settled, both Buttercup and Bubbles followed their sister into the Archives. Once all three were in, Blossom covered the hole and glanced at her two sisters. "Okay, Bubbles, remember what you have to do. You have your supplies?"

Bubbles nodded. "Yeah."

"Good."

"And Red and I will be making sure that the boys will leave you alone," Buttercup added. "As well as the other servants."

"Okay."

"Go," Blossom cut in as she gave her sisters meaningful glances. She watched as they shivered, the cold from the morning seeping into their already cold bodies. It was bad enough that the Archives were freezing already. "I'll join you two later…after Brick leaves me alone."

The two girls broke off from their sister, leaving her alone in the dusty archive room. The disguised redhead listened intently, making sure her sisters were gone, before she settled into her corner. As soon as she was settled in, she heard footsteps and froze. A part of her panicked, thinking it was Brick, but when she saw Mrs. Torres, the Keeper of the Archives, she relaxed. Mrs. Torres, who was picking up the place, noticed Blossom and gently smiled. "Why, hello, Miss Cameron."

Mrs. Torres was an older woman – in her eighties – and was a gentle soul. Her face, wrinkled with age, glowed with kindness, making her a most welcoming figure. Her temperament was always easy going as well, never failing to issue a hello or greeting. Unlike Mrs. Brown, she never snapped or yelled at anyone, making her well liked amongst the servants…even with Mojo and the boys. Blossom, whenever she ran into Mrs. Torres, always felt bad about lying to such a sweet woman about her identity, but also knew it would put the elderly lady in danger should she have known the truth about who ' _Cammy_ ' really was. So, Blossom continued to lie.

"How are you doing, sweetheart? Better than out there?"

The leader of the girls had fed Mrs. Torres a story about how Cameron had been reputedly picked on by the other servants, but couldn't say anything to Mrs. Brown for fear of worst treatment from the staff. She also added that the constant running around was starting to wear on her breathing as she had been diagnosed with asthma at birth. Feeling pity for Cammy and impressed at the young girl's vast knowledge, she accepted Blossom as an assistant.

"Yes, much better, Mrs. Torres. Thanks so much for lending me a hand," replied the teenager politely with a gentle smile.

Mrs. Torres' eyes softened. "Not a problem. In such troubled times, it is necessary – almost demanded – that we all stick together and show kindness."

Blossom nodded. "Yes."

"Like you're doing for that boy."

The leader of the girls blinked, puzzled at the words of the older woman. Unceremoniously – a rare moment for her – she said, "Huh?"

"Well," smiled the Keeper of the Archives as she situated some of the papers in her arms. For such an elderly lady, she was a strong woman with excellent posture. "You are kindly helping Mister Brick with his work…whatever it may be down here."

 _You have no idea how_ much _I'm helping him,_ Blossom thought, but, rather, said in a rushed voice, "I'm merely doing it out of fear."

"Fear?" echoed Mrs. Torres as she rose an eyebrow. "Well, whatever the motive, Miss Cameron, it is still a kindness. One that is probably much appreciated by the young gentleman."

"I _suppose_ so."

The woman paused for a moment and then added, as if it were an after thought, "Those boys aren't evil, though."

Now the prideful teenager was completely confused. Not evil? How could they _not_ be evil? These boys put fear, anxiety and stress in the hearts of the citizens of the Earth. They terrorized the humans and probably killed people (though Blossom wasn't sure about that accusation and would rather not think about it). They helped Mojo keep the humans enslaved! How could they not be considered evil? It just didn't make sense.

Blossom's expression must have shown her doubt because Mrs. Torres continued, understanding, wisdom and persuasion thick in her voice, "I have seen many true evils and what their powerful hands can do first hand. I have seen true horrors against humanity that should never be forgotten, but should, also, never be repeated. Believe me, dear, when I say that those three boys are not evil. Simply misguided by the wrong hand."

"But, they've probably ki…"

"Killed people?" interrupted the elderly woman. She smiled sadly at the young girl sitting before her. "While taking the life of someone is certainly atrocious and condemnable in my book, there are worst things in life than death. _Much_ worse."

The redheaded girl still looked troubled, so Mrs. Torres continued, comfortingly, "I know it's a heavy thought to bear, but just remember, dear one, keep an open mind about them. It's not like they've imprisoned an entire race of people simply out of hate…only to lie to them, torture them, rip them apart and kill them in inhumane ways. They have not committed any of those actions. Their creator, yes, but not them."

Blossom stared at the woman in awe. She could hear the history behind Mrs. Torres' words and expressions and suddenly couldn't help but wonder just _who_ exactly Mrs. Torres was. There was so much meaning behind her words that it broke past Blossom's inhibitions and shook her to the core. And the story! She knew exactly what Mrs. Torres was talking about. She was talking about the horrible treatment of those who struggled to survive the Holocaust during the Second World War. She was talking about Hitler's evil 'Final Solution'!

 _I have seen many true evils and what their powerful hands can do_ first hand…

Those were the words of the woman before her. She had seen – first hand – what the Nazis or the Japanese could do. That meant that she would've had to have been a part of the army during that period in history. Or, at least, a volunteer for the United States. Meaning, Mrs. Torres was…

"A nurse?" asked Blossom.

Mrs. Torres nodded. "Yes. Lieutenant Angela Whitney, enlisted on August 1940 for the Navy Nurse Corps. I was stationed in the Pacific for awhile before I was reassigned to the European Theater. After the end of the war, I had Jewish patients that had been taken from a liberated concentration camp in Germany. A horrible sight to see." She sighed heavily, her eyes getting a faraway look, as if re-living her life over again. "Compared to Hitler, these boys look like kittens."

The pink-clad girl didn't say anything as the World War II veteran shook her head, coming back from the 1940's and returning to the present. When the elderly lady glanced at the young girl, she smiled. In turn, Blossom smiled back and murmured, "The Greatest Generation…all _true_ heroes."

The Keeper of the Archives' smile became watery and released a deep exhale. "No, we simply did what we had to do. Some of our actions were wrong, some were necessary and some were something beyond our reach. We only did what was required of us." She pursed her lips. "Excuse me, Miss Cameron, while I finish cleaning up. You rest. It's still very early."

With that, Mrs. Torres left the young teenager to her thoughts.

 

* * *

 

 

"Keep an eye out for Batty Brown," whispered Bubbles as the two girls maneuvered through the dimmed halls of Mojo's palace. Buttercup, behind her, was nervously glancing around, keeping an eye out for any servants, Mojo or the Boys. Though it was dim and hard for many humans to see, both girls – luckily – had enhanced vision because of the Chemical X. "She could ruin everything just as easily as anyone else could. I swear that woman is annoying and that's saying something coming from me."

"I'll say," snorted Buttercup. "I may be tough, but even _she_ scares me."

"I think she scares the boys, too," murmured the blonde and then paused in thought. "But, then again, I highly doubt they would admit that out loud. It's kind of silly, though, that such an old woman can scare the living daylights out of six super-powered teenagers."

"Yeah. Hurry."

"I _know_."

After fifteen more minutes of traveling, the girls finally came upon the suspicious looking door. Bubbles glanced down and noticed the fingerprint scanner before her. She went filing through her backpack and pulled out some powder. Brushing the sensitive pad lightly, a fingerprint became visible. Next, she took out her gloves and then pressed down on the pad. Her heart pounded as she glanced at the small screen just above the fingerprint scanner.

_One second…_

_Two seconds…_

_Three seconds…_

_Four seconds…_

And then, finally, it flashed out its response:

**ACCESS GRANTED**

Bubbles released a breath of relief as the door slide open. She gave a curt nodded at Buttercup as she slipped into the room, careful to not be seen by the security camera that was in the room. Buttercup, outside, whispered after her, "Be careful, okay? Don't get caught. I'll be out here. Hopefully with Blossom shortly."

The naturally sweet young girl nodded as the door slide shut behind her. Turning around, her eyes scanned the room as soon as she was by herself. At first, she was in awe when she saw that the room looked like the power failure hadn't occurred. But that simply lasted a second before she collected herself and took out a small camera that allowed for optional development. Dousing the flash as much as possible, she took a picture of the room. As soon as it developed, she placed the picture over the security camera.

Quickly, she turned around and glanced at the security keypad that was next to the camera. As if the camera and the fingerprint scanner wasn't enough, now Mojo had security within the room. Grabbing her small blue light again, she flashed it over the keypad, some keys showed fingerprints. Turning on her ear piece, she whispered, "Hey, Professor, I have some keys here for a password. Do you think you can help me break it?"

" _Sure_ ," came John's voice. " _Give me the letters_."

"T, U, S, Z, N," replied Bubbles and then squinted her eyes. "And 'U' looks like its been pressed twice."

" _Okay, hold on."_ There was a momentary lapse of silence before the Professor's voice came back. " _The popular results are…_ Zutuns, Sutunz, Tusznu _and_ Nutzus."

Bubbles nose scrunched up. "Those don't sound right."

" _Yes, I know_ ," John sighed heavily. There was some shuffling from his end and the blonde could only assume that he was still trying to find more possible answers for the password. " _I don't know what else to tell you. That's the best I can come up with. But I'll try some more. Give me a second._ "

" _Try Sun Tzu_ ," Blossom's voice suddenly cut into the conversation, surprising both Bubbles and John. She continued to explain as if everyone had asked just who Sun Tzu was. " _He was a famous strategist who was believed to have written the book,_ The Art of War. _He also possibly served as a military general for the King of Wu during the Spring and Autumn period of China, which was approximately between 722 – 481 BC._ _Sun Wu, in traditional Chinese, was another possible name for him_."

Bubbles sucked in a breath as she typed in the name ' _Sun Tzu_ ' into the computer. She waited several moments before the small light beside it flashed green. Smiling, she pressed a hand close to her ear and murmured, "Thanks, Blossom. It worked."

Without so much as another word, she moved towards a desk that contained blueprints. She furrowed her eyebrows as she stared at the blueprints, confused at what it was. She pursed her lips and took a picture of it with her small camera, regardless of her confusion. After several more moments of taking pictures and downloading files from the computer that was in the room, she finally turned around and headed out.

She placed the security back online and then took off the picture from the security camera and slipped out of the room once more. Once she got out, she found Buttercup and Blossom speaking quietly amongst themselves, deeply involved in their conversation. Once she bounced up to them, she grinned and murmured, "I got it. Let's go."

"Did you use gloves the whole time?" Blossom suddenly questioned as she turned to her blonde sister. Bubbles nodded. "Did you erase the history from Mojo's computers if you used them? Did you make sure that you were unseen by the security cameras?"

Bubbles nodded again. "Yes, yes, I did."

"Let's go," Buttercup responded quickly as her eyes darted up and down the halls. The other two agreed and all three began moving away from the room. As they walked away, the dark-haired teen glanced back at the sweetest member of their team. "Blossom was telling me that the boys are planning on asking us to some carnival. Brick apparently already asked her. So, keep an ear out to see if Boomer asks you, alright?"

"Okay," Bubbles replied.

The three managed to move a couple of hallways away from the door and relief washed over them momentarily when they believed when they were out of danger before a sharp voice rang out:

" _You three girls, stop right there!"_


	15. Pawn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "The Pawn moves only one square at a time, and that's straight forward, except in the act of capturing, when it takes one step diagonally to the right or left file on to the square occupied by the man taken, and continues on that file until it captures another man."
> 
> -Howard Staunton

It had been awhile before Blossom started to get impatient with waiting for Brick to come and check in on her. She sighed heavily and stretched her muscles, wondering how in the world the humans were able to sleep in these conditions. Shortly after wondering such a thing, she felt her body shrink in guilt and shame. After all, why should she sleep on a comfortable bed when the world couldn't? Especially since their troubles were because of her and her sisters? Was it fair?

Her thoughts turned to Buttercup's questions from earlier about Miyuki and the slave quarters. It did seem rather stupid, she had thought shortly after telling Buttercup her reasoning, to not save her Japanese friend (or to encourage Taro to remain in the hidden base and not go looking for his only living relative) while the power was down, but…

 _Maybe I_ am _paranoid_ , she thought glumly as she closed her eyes in abashment. _But is it such a terrible thing to be?_

There was no denying that Blossom was not wrong in being paranoid. As it was, it _was_ her paranoia that was keeping her and her sisters from being discovered by her counterpart. As well as the fact that it was also because of her paranoia that the girls were safe from true harm or abandonment. It was keeping them safe! But, again…

 _It could_ become _terrible_.

She was leaving Miyuki's life hanging in the balance. While she had told Buttercup that Miyuki was a strong girl, Blossom truly had no idea how long the Japanese girl could last underneath Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching. For all she knew, Miyuki could have already mentioned something about the girls because she was exhausted and being tortured. Again, guilt and shame cast its ugly grip on the redheaded leader once more.

" _Besides Mojo, Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching is one of the more cruel and ambitious regional lords_ ," Ms. Bellum had told her shortly after her friend's capture. It was said, of course, in private to no stir up fear amongst the others. " _He is absolutely ruthless_."

Blossom's stomach turned at the thought of Miyuki being tortured because she wouldn't rescue her friend. It made her feel sick to know that it was _her_ that left her friend behind in the clutches of one of the more cruel primates. And knowingly, too, since Blossom could see that Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching would do anything to get information out of the human girl…it was in his nature and type.

" _Keep eye on mission_ ," Taro had taught her. " _Let nothing distract_."

Surely her master would understand where she was coming from? He had been the one who told her to never let anyone distract her, to never let anything overtake her and to not let emotions become the better of her. She had been trained to keep her eyes on the bigger picture and do everything to reach her goal. If a friend had to wait so Blossom could attain that goal, she had been taught, then so be it. Such was the lesson and life of a warrior and a fighter. Even Blossom's personal feeling had to be put on hold until Mojo was defeated and contained. She could let _nothing_ or _anyone_ draw her attention away from the grander goal in the mission…even Miyuki.

 _Focus_ , she thought. _I must focus_.

As soon as she came to her senses, her ears picked up on the sound of the door. Briefly, she thought it was Mrs. Torres again, but decided not to jump to conclusions. She listened carefully, analyzing the weight of the footsteps before she rolled over, her face looking at the wall. It was Brick, she had concluded. And sure enough, his voice rang clear as soon as he reached his destination. "I know you're awake, so listen carefully, slave girl. I still don't trust you. You're up to something…I _know_ it. Unfortunately, I can't keep you with me every second of the day – "

Blossom had to decency to fight back the growing redness on her cheeks at his words. That sounded _very_ different than he had intended, but said nothing to aggravate him.

" – But, that doesn't mean I won't know what you're up to." He finished, unaware of the indication of what he said earlier. His ruby eyes narrowed severely. "You better watch your back, Cameron." And with that, he turned to walk off, but not before calling over his shoulder, "And by the way, you're going to some Carnival with me in a couple of days. This does not mean you're off the hook. Think of it as a way of me keeping a weather eye on you."

Finally, he stalked off, leaving Blossom to herself. She had waited before she heard the door to the Archives close before she breathed out a sigh of relief. This was a risky game she was playing, she knew. Everyday she risked her mission by being Mrs. Torres's assistant. After all, what if Brick came down here in the middle of the night and didn't find her in her 'bed'? She had a million and one excuses ready, but that didn't mean it would make her counterpart even less suspicious than he already was.

Of course, he was suspicious that Cammy was up to something rather Blossom (and that was a distinct difference…even as odd or insane as that sounded) and the girl wouldn't have it any other way. He simply thought that she was a human who was too smart for her own good. He still wasn't even sure if her (meaning Blossom) or her sisters were still alive. He wasn't sure what was going on around him. More importantly, he hadn't even made the connection that Cammy was Blossom…or Blossom was Cammy.

 _Let's keep it that way_.

Collecting herself, she got up and without so much as making a sound or disrupting the dust that lightly layered the Archives, she slipped out of the room. She made sure that Brick was nowhere to be found and headed towards the suspicious room that Bubbles had first discovered on her tour with Boomer. As soon as she reached her destination, her ear piece squawked on as she slipped beside her dark-haired sister.

"Try Sun Tzu," she said, earning a mystified look from Buttercup. Noticing her gaze (and assuming her father and sister were wearing the same look), she continued on to explain her reasoning. "He was a famous strategist who was believed to have written the book, _The Art of War_. He also possibly served as a military general for the King of Wu during the Spring and Autumn period of China, which was approximately between 722 – 481 BC. Sun Wu, in traditional Chinese, was another possible name for him."

As soon as she finished explaining her reasoning to her blonde sister (" _Thanks, Blossom. It worked_."), she turned to Buttercup. The girl's face was scrunched up in irritation as she proceeded to cross her arms over her chest. "And just _what_ took you so long?"

Blossom sighed heavily, weariness becoming apparent. "Brick took a long time to come and check in on me. When he finally did show up, he sort of threatened me so I wouldn't entertain ideas about overthrowing Mojo." She paused and then added, "And he invited me to a carnival. I'm not sure about you two, but keep an eye out for Butch or Boomer looking for dates."

Buttercup nodded lazily. "Fine, fine."

Bubbles, at that moment, slipped up next to them without them realizing that she had finished in the room. She gave them a bright grin as she bounced up, her pride evident in her face and voice. Her small satchel that she was carrying was tightly secured on her shoulder. "I got it. Let's go."

After Blossom grilled her sister with questions and Buttercup's urging, the three sisters began to walk away, wanting to get as far away as the suspicious door as possible before someone had shown up and become suspicious as to why those three girls were hanging around that area. But as soon as they thought they were in the clear, sharp voice snapped, "You three girls, stop right there!"

Their faces paled and their hearts pounded. Bubbles immediately grabbed her satchel and pressed it to her chest as she got out the computer files and camera and stealthily handed each to her sisters to shove in their pockets. Once they felt sure it was hidden, they turned around to come face-to-face with Mrs. Brown, her face scrunched up in disapproval and suspicion. Her beady eyes were trained on Bubbles' bag. "And just _where_ do you girls think you're going this early in the morning."

It was, by this point, barely fifteen minutes past six-thirty. Of course, the rude and dramatic woman felt the need to act as if it were an ungodly hour such as four in the morning rather than six. None of the three teenage girls felt like indulging that knowledge to the rather frightening woman standing in front of them. Buttercup had no response, Blossom couldn't come up with a good enough excuse and, for once, Bubbles had come to the rescue. She smiled as pleasantly as she could and said, "We were heading to the dressers."

"And for _what_?" sniped Mrs. Brown with a sniff of her nose.

"To return a pair of shoes." Bubbles elaborated. "A pair that I borrowed for the gala."

Mrs. Brown's eyes narrowed. "Young lady, the gala occurred a rather long time ago and you are _barely_ returning the pair of shoes _now_? What were you waiting for? A fairy godmother to come or Prince Charming to place the glass slippers upon thy feet?"

Blossom lips twitched in disapproval at the older woman's sarcasm while Buttercup clearly frowned, trying to suppress the urge to deck the woman right then and there. However, Bubbles managed to keep her face as cool and aloof as she could possibly get despite the nervousness and fear that was gnawing at the base of her stomach. "I had actually wanted Boomer to return them, but as he has been busy lately what with the power outage, I eventually thought it might be better to just do it myself."

" _Now_?"

The redheaded leader nearly rolled her eyes at the persistent woman before she said, her own voice rather steely and cold. "Yes, now. Be happy that she's not stealing them and is returning them. Besides, she can be rather forgetful. It's an common occurrence in teenagers, you know."

There was no mistake at the clear implication at what Blossom had not said. _It's a common occurrence in teenagers, you know. Something you have not been, obviously, for quite awhile_. Buttercup had to bite her bottom lip to keep herself from laughing while Bubbles' eyes widened in shock and fear. It was not usual for Blossom speak so tartly to an adult unless they had irritated her enough. Mrs. Brown, also, appeared to have heard the implication because her face flushed in anger and she hissed out, "I should report you, you impudent girl, for your – "

"But you are not going to," a new voice cut in, a sharp edge just barely coming out past the kindly tone. "Seeing as how Miss Cameron is not part of your branch, but _mine_ , Cecelia. I do hope you remember that."

Mrs. Brown's eyes darted behind the three girls and her face became even more red, but this time in frustration. Her lips pursed tightly as she said through clenched teeth, "Angela, did you not hear the arrogance and misconduct in this young lady's voice! She should be reported to his lordship! And this other one, the blonde one, referred to Master Boomer without the proper title! Impudence and lack of respect if you ask me."

"Seeing as how Mister Boomer is on familiar ground with this young girl," Mrs. Torres pointed out as she made herself visible and inclined her head towards Bubbles, "Then it is only natural that two friends refer to themselves in the informal way. This is not uncommon for teenagers nowadays. And as for Miss Cameron, she was simply pointing a rather good detail. I know many a servants that would steal these lovely shoes instead of returning them. She was merely shedding light on this subject. I see no wrong done…unless _you're_ assuming something else?"

Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup darted between the two older women as if they were watching a tennis match. By now, Mrs. Brown's face was twisted in rage and the color in her face had gone a ghastly shade of purple while Mrs. Torres's expression had remained rather calm, her eyes merely giving off her _own_ frustration at her co-worker and fellow manager. After a moment of silence between the two, Mrs. Brown had grudgingly muttered, "No, I suppose not."

Mrs. Torres smiled. "Excellent. No harm, no foul, right, Cecelia?"

"Yes," The Head-House Parlor Maid replied tightly and stalked away without so much as another word towards the group behind her.

All three girls turned back to the Keeper of the Archives, who eyes were still trained on the back of Mrs. Brown, before she turned her gaze on to the younger women before her. Her face was slightly scrunched up in disapproval, but it did not take away the teasing and kindly glint in her eyes. "Miss Cameron, I should hope you do well to remember that, in the future, it would not be wise for you to upset Mrs. Brown like that." She paused and then smiled. "As much as I love to put her in her place, I won't always be around to save you."

"Yes, ma'am," Blossom replied wholeheartedly. "No more trouble. Thank you."

"No, no," laughed Mrs. Torres. "Thank you. I haven't gotten into a good spat with anyone in forever. I think I must have forgotten about the thrill or the adrenaline of feeling like I had the upper hand for awhile." She paused and think briskly walked past them. "I must be going, anyway. Lots to do."

As she departed, the girls said their farewells and remained put until they were sure that the older woman was out of hearing range. As soon as she was, Buttercup turned her gaze towards Bubbles and asked, her eyebrows raised in curiosity. "I have to ask: do you really have those shoes in that bag or were you just giving a lie to feed to Batty Brown?"

Bubbles giggled. "What really must be asked is why Brown has such a beautiful name like Cecelia?"

Grins broke out on their faces as they continued walking down the halls of the former Townsville Hall, towards the Archives, where they hoped to slip away from the watchful eyes of Mojo, the Boys and one Mrs. Cecelia Brown, who would, no doubt, be on the warpath after that fateful incident between both managers. And as they did so, a collect realization had fallen upon their amused minds: Bubbles did not have the shoes in her bag.

 

* * *

 

John's eyebrows furrowed as he looked over the things that Bubbles had collected from her mission. Most certainly, just from seeing the blueprints, Mojo was planning something. It actually looked like he was going to send something up into space. But for what, John was still trying to determine. He scratched his head as he thought about different plans that Mojo was trying to come up with. Did he want to find alien life outside Earth? Did he want to do something with the moon or sun? The Earth's atmosphere?

Questions ran through John's head as he moved from the blueprints over to the computer files that had been downloaded. None of Mojo's notes made sense and they all seemed out of order. He would have to organize everything before he could even take a look at the notes and try and figure out the purpose for it.

He sighed heavily and rubbed his temples as he felt a headache come on. Everything was starting to catch up to him. He felt completely and solely responsible for everything that had happened. After all, maybe if he had taught the girls "stranger danger" and to be careful with their powers, maybe they wouldn't have been deceived by Mojo into creating that atrocious lab. It was his fault. He left three unaware, vulnerable girls out in the world without so much as telling them the mean things people could do, selfish things people could do.

And he was one of them.

Had he not created the girls for selfish reasons? Really, he hadn't created the girls to destroy the town or any crazy notion the citizens had come up with those many years ago. He had wanted the girls for _himself_ because he saw three angelic girls when he was little. He had created them to raise them to be good, law-abiding citizens and look how that turned out. He failed the girls. He had failed as a parent.

"Are you alright, John?"

Professor Utonium glanced over his shoulder and found Sandy at the doorway of his room, concern etched into her face. He felt a pang of guilt when he noticed how worried and tired she looked. That was his fault, too. Her worry for her students and her family was his fault, too, simply because he failed as a parent. How foolish and ridiculous was he to think that _he_ could raise a child – let alone _three_!

He sighed. "No, Sandy, I'm not okay."

She walked into the room. "I figured as much. You've been moping around for the past several weeks and I – Sara, too, I suppose – have been worried about you. You haven't been yourself lately." She paused briefly as she set down a cup of coffee next to him. "Want to talk?"

He gladly took the cup and took a sip of it as he mulled over what he wanted to tell. So many things were bothering him. He exhaled. "No, Sandy, it's alright."

The kindergarten teacher's shoulders slumped slightly as he turned away from her. She stood behind awkwardly as she thought about telling him that she was here for him, but nothing came out. She shifted her weight and glanced down at the ground. Feeling defeat, she mumbled an "okay" as she walked out of the room.

 _One day, Sandy_ , John thought as he sensed she left. _One day, I will tell you everything_.

 

* * *

 

" _Blossom_!"

The redhead blinked out of her stupor and found her two sisters staring at her, one with concern etched into her features and the other looking somewhat irritated at the lack of the leader's attentiveness. Immediately, she smiled meekly and murmured, "Sorry. Got lost in thought."

"Yeah, well," Buttercup bit out harshly as she rolled her emerald eyes, "Next time don't get lost in thought. I don't like spending my time in these ridiculous meetings or helping you out with a stupid problem."

" _Buttercup_!" hissed Bubbles in silent reprimand. The green girl simply rolled her eyes again while the blonde turned back to her leader, "Are you sure you're okay, Blossom?"

Blossom brushed her off. "Yeah."

"You sure?" Bubbles insisted, her blue eyes searching her sister's face for any sign of distress. Her hands were clasped in front of her chest. "Nothing you want to share with me or Buttercup?"

She smiled softly at her sister as she blinked slowly, trying to wake up from her daydream. She had been tired recently, not having slept well, because of the fact that she kept having nightmares about Brick finding out about her and her sisters. It was no wonder she was dozing off in the middle of the day. "No, Bubbles. I'm alright, don't worry."

Bubbles nodded. "Okay."

"Continue with the meeting then, blondie, now that we know Leader Girl is right in the head," Buttercup grumbled as she crossed her arms over her chest. Blossom shot her a sharp look. It seemed like Buttercup was in a particularly foul mood and she couldn't figure out why.

Meanwhile, Bubbles merely ignored her sister. "Anyway, the professor has the photos, blueprints and data I collected from my mission. Unfortunately, it's taking awhile to filter through all the codes, firewalls and whatnot. Once he breaks into the data, he'll need to sort through Mojo's notes before he gives us a response."

"In other words," Buttercup interjected, "You called this meeting to tell us it's gonna be awhile before we get an answer. _Great_." She scoffed. "What a waste of time."

Bubbles placed her hands on her hips and glowered at her sister. "Buttercup, take the stick out of your ass for a second, will you?"

The green-clad girl had seemed shocked to hear such a response from her supposed innocent sister, but quickly recovered nonetheless. "Screw you. Don't take it out on me because you can't hold a good meeting. Don't be such a bitch, Bubbles."

The blue-eyed girl opened her mouth to shoot another retort to her sister, but Blossom intervened with a sharp, but calm warning of, " _Girls_."

The two girls glanced at their leader and found the redhead glaring at the two of them. They quickly backed down and kept their mouths shut before the blue girl murmured demurely, "Actually, I had wanted to know what we should do about the carnival. You know, the details before we send ourselves off?"

Shortly after the girls had escape from the clutches of Mrs. Brown, the boys – upon finding the girls later on – had asked Bubbles and Buttercup to the carnival. The three sisters hadn't said anything about the carnival to each other until the blonde had brought up.

There was a genuine silence between the sisters before Blossom noticed that Buttercup and Bubbles were looking at her. She sighed heavily. "Look, we have to go. We all know that. We'll keep our ear-pieces hidden so they can't see, but we remain in contact with each other and the base. The curfew for humans is eleven. We'll meet half an hour prior to that in case we get separated. You miss the allotted time by ten minutes, we'll assume you're in trouble. If we're all there on time, we'll go home together."

"What do we to do while we're there?" Buttercup asked.

 _It was a good question_ , Blossom had thought immediately. She kept quiet and pondered it over before she replied, "Find out anything you can about the boys or Mojo and his plans. The more you can find out about either, the better. Right now, though, I think it would be best to figure out Mojo's plans first."

The other two girls nodded and Bubbles spoke up, "Blossom, you said we're gonna go home together. Something bothers me about that. What if Brick thinks we're sisters and puts two and two together? What if he think we're, well, _us_?"

Blossom gave a half nod and murmured, "While there, we are roommates."

"But you supposedly sleep in Archives," Buttercup pointed out, "What if Brick thinks of that?"

The redheaded girl merely gave a weak smile, "You let me deal with Brick. You just worry about yourselves and your counterparts." Again, her sisters nodded and got up to go once they sensed that the meeting was over with. Blossom, however, stopped them when she said, "Buttercup, can I speak to you – _alone_."

Bubbles and Buttercup paused at the doorway to the conference room, exchanged glances before Bubbles took off and Buttercup turned around. The emerald-eyed girl sat down and crossed her arms over her chest. A defensive position, Blossom noted. Which means, she would have to tread lightly if she didn't want to get into an argument with her sister. Sighing heavily, Blossom asked softly, "Buttercup, what's bothering you?"

"Nothing's bothering me," Buttercup said immediately, though her tone, her posture, and her prior actions said otherwise. Blossom merely rose an eyebrow and the green girl remained silent. They stayed like that until one cracked. Finally, Buttercup growled and snapped, "I'm impatient, okay?"

"Impatient?" The leader questioned, raising her other eyebrow.

The green girl nodded and threw her arms up in frustration. "We're doing all this espionage crap and for _what_? What have we accomplished in the past couple months? Hardly anything! I don't see the purpose in all this! I think we should've just busted into the place a long time ago and wiped the floor with Mojo's ass. So, yeah, I'm getting impatient."

Blossom rubbed her eyes. "If it were just Mojo we were dealing with, I would agree with you, but we're _not_. We are not only dealing with Mojo, but also his monkey lackeys who have control of all the countries of the world _and_ the Rowdyruff Boys. Butch and Boomer may be straightforward guys when it comes to combat, but Brick is different. Everything is a game of chess to him."

" _So_!" cried Buttercup, jumping to her feet. "Fight and think on your feet with him!"

"Unfortunately," Blossom said, her voice turning cold, "we have to tear down an entire empire. Troy did not fall in one day or even one year. It took _ten years_ to get rid of one of the most powerful kingdoms in the Aegean. And Rome did not fall in one day, either. No empire truly falls in one day. It takes a build up."

Buttercup heard the coldness in her sister's voice, but did not back down, "So, what? We have to wait ten years before we can complete this damn mission? If that was the case, I would have never accepted this frickin' mission in the first place!"

The redheaded leader exhaled, exasperated. She rubbed her temples. "No, Buttercup. Not even I am willing to fight against Mojo for ten years. I'm working, but plans have been set back because we need to figure out if this machine or weapon Mojo has is operational. Until we figure if it's a danger, you have to participate in our missions."

Buttercup jumped to her feet and rolled her eyes. "Whatever."

Blossom slowly got up and moved over to her sister. She placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and murmured, "We're almost done, Buttercup. I can feel it. Mojo has no communication to the other regional kings. He can't send for help or orders. His security systems are messed up and he has no idea what will hit him. All he has for defense is the Rowdyruff Boys. We figure out what makes the boys tick and we have the advantage. We need those advantages. Can you imagine what would happen if Mojo had the weapon, his monkey lackeys and the Rowdyruff Boys at his disposal?"

Buttercup remained silent, but turned to her sister, a serious look on her face. "Fine. I'll be patient a little longer, but you have to do everything in your power to make sure this ends soon. I don't how much longer I can keep the Valley Girl act up with Butch. I feel the need to pound the guy every time I'm around him."

Blossom smiled. "I promise and that's all I ask."

The green girl gave a weak smile back and the two sisters gave each other a quick hug.

 

* * *

 

The girls were honestly surprised that Mojo had allowed such a carnival for the human slaves. It was everything that a carnival should be. There were game booths in one corner, stuffed animals were prizes, cotton candy was given and rides were going. The lights illuminated the night sky and the giddy screams of people filled the usually eerie silence.

The girls stuck close to the boys as the boys walked in. The chimpanzee guard at the entrance was offering everyone cotton candy and most people took it. Both Brick and Butch offered to get their respective counterparts cotton candy, but both girls refused. Bubbles, on the other hand, giggled as Boomer bowed to her and then offered her the cotton candy. She gladly accepted it, but didn't eat any, saying that she would wait until she was ready.

As soon as they entered the carnival, the girls were blown away. While not a fascinating amusement park, it was still something they were not expecting. Bubbles squealed and immediately pulled Boomer towards a game booth, wanting a cute octopus doll with a top hat – which so happened to be the grand prize of a booth.

Butch and Buttercup, however, decided to hit the nearest roller coaster. It seemed to be the first thing that the two greens agreed on, Blossom mused. Of course, Buttercup pretended to be terrified of the ride to fit her alias, with Butch promising to keep her safe. Buttercup gagged inwardly, of course.

Blossom, once alone with Brick, began moving around, not sure what she wanted to do. In fact, she asked him if he had anything in mind and he merely shrugged, not really caring what they did. She had sighed in frustration at his indecisiveness, but kept moving. Finally, her eyes rested on the Ferris Wheel and started moving towards that with Brick at her side.

He had been silent since she met up with him in the Archives. He had only murmured a polite hello to her, but hadn't said much more. Blossom had been nervous, at first, but went along with it. She had remained patient with him, trying to draw him into a conversation to see what he was thinking, but he remained quiet and his face had remained neutral. She was starting to go mad with all the silence from him and was about ready to smack him in the face when he spoke:

"Listen, I don't get why you did what you did. I don't know if you're somehow involved in the break-in…"

Blossom's heart pounded at that.

"…but I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt," he continued slowly. "So, let's just start over. Hi, I'm Brick, the leader of the Rowdyruff Boys."

She remained quiet, examining her counterpart. She chewed on her bottom lip, trying to decide if this was act or not. Finally, she exhaled and responded, "Hello, I'm Cammy Anderson, assistant to the Keeper of the Archives and your unofficial assistant."

He nodded and both fell into an awkward silence. Though he hoped to get her to be comfortable around him so he could hopefully find a slip on her part, he realized, as he watched her, that he knew absolutely nothing about her other than her name, job and age. He stared as she continued nervously chewing her bottom lip and playing with her fingers in her lap. He leaned over and lightly pulled her bottom lip from her teeth. "You're going to ruin your teeth if you keep doing that."

She froze when he touched her and turned her shocked gaze on him. Though it wasn't much of a touch, both teenagers pulled away, their faces reddening from embarrassment. They shifted awkwardly in their seats, unsure of what to say or do. Brick tried starting up another conversation, realizing for the first time that he was not good at casual conversations. "So…uh…what happened to your parents?"

Blossom came up with a lie quickly, hoping it wouldn't backfire on her. "I don't know. I heard my mother died in the initial attack and I'm not sure what happened to my father. I'm not sure if he's a doctor for Mojo or he's, well…er…captive."

"Oh."

She rose an eyebrow and murmured quietly, "You know, you're not very good a casual conversation."

He frowned and replied indignantly, "Yeah, well, you're not so good at talking confidently, either."

"I suppose n-not," she stammered, her face red from anger.

Silence befell them again, still not completely sure where their awkward conversation was going. Brick was frustrated because he had no idea how to deal with the girl (or any girl for that matter) and his dormant hormones were finally waking up from their deep slumber. Blossom, too, was completely new to dealing with someone of the opposite sex and she was irritated because she had no idea where Brick was going with everything. At last, the leader of the Rowdyruff Boys muttered, "I guess we have a lot to teach each other, don't we?"

She nodded. "I suppose we do."

 

* * *

 

Bubbles squealed as Boomer handed her the doll. She hugged him tightly. "Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you, Boomer! He's so adorable! I've always wanted a doll like this!"

Even with her innocent words, the blue Rowdyruff felt a pang of guilt in his heart. He was bit shocked at his reaction to her words and couldn't understand why her words had such an affect on him. He had gone out with girls before, but never had their words affected him. He had never felt guilty for depriving a human of something before. Giving her a forced smile, he said, "You're welcome, Amber."

She grinned and examined the doll in her hands. "What kind of name should he have? Tentacles? Mr. Octopus? Toppy? Top Hat? Purple?"

Names rolled off her tongue as she scrutinized the doll, trying to find the perfect name for him. As she did so, Boomer watched her carefully. Perhaps he felt guilty because she was so innocent. Teenage girls that he had gone out with were not as innocent and as pure as she was. Nor were they as kindhearted and lively as the young woman before him. Giving her another small smile, he whispered, "How about Octi?"

She blinked as she turned her gaze on him. She stared at him briefly before she turned back to the doll and a wide smile broke out. "Octi…I like it. It has a nice ring to it. Octi…yeah. Octi. Thanks, Boomer…for the name and the doll. I love it."

"You're welcome."

The two began moving away from the game booth and staring at all the different rides. Boomer offered her some cotton candy and Bubbles gladly took some. When she asked why he didn't take any, he blatantly said that he didn't like the texture or stickiness of the sweet. She could only stare at him in disbelief, but giggled and said "More for me" in response.

As they climbed onto a ride, Boomer couldn't help but feel bothered at the fact that Bubbles' remarks bothered him. He had never felt guilty before, so why now?

 

* * *

 

Buttercup growled in irritation as she watched Butch eye other girls while they were in line. It wasn't the fact that she was jealous. Oh no, not by a long shot. She was irritated because she felt bad for every girl who had gone out with her counterpart. The guy didn't even pay attention to the girl he was supposed to be hanging out with because he was too busy eyeing at the other girls.

She rolled her eyes as he winked at some blonde girl in the line. He continued his antics even as they got on the ride, flirting with every girl in sight. She grit her teeth and shook her head as they got off and he began flirting with yet another girl. Finally, he turned to her and saw the look on her face. "Aw, babe, what's the matter?"

" _You_ ," she snapped and then nearly winced when she realized that she said that a bit too much like Buttercup and not enough like Brittany.

He blinked. "Me?"

Buttercup was half tempted to smack the guy all the way to the moon for his clueless attitude. Seriously? This guy didn't realize he was completely ignoring her and flirting with other girls in front of her? She rolled her eyes again. Her gaze flickered to him and noticed him shooting a charming smile at a short brunette. "Ugh! Like, if you want to go out with her, I can, like, introduce you. If not, then you need to, like, pay attention to me, you jerk-off."

Butch whirled around at her words, somewhat shocked. He hadn't expected that to come from her. He merely smiled. "Don't be like that, babe. There is enough Butch to go around. Can't you understand that? Hasn't anyone ever taught you about sharing?"

Buttercup's jaw went slack before she shook her head. She couldn't believe this guy. She scoffed at his remark and ignored him the rest of the night. She was not going to get anywhere with him at this moment. She sighed heavily and crossed her arms over her chest. She needed to leave before she hit the guy.

 

* * *

 

John sighed heavily as he moved one piece forward and leaned back at his seat. He stared at the board before him as he played against an invisible opponent. Closing his eyes, he murmured underneath his breath, "One piece at a time. One pawn at a time. Victory, girls, will be ours."


	16. Those Boys Aren't Evil

Blossom sat in her room, chewing on her bottom lip, and recalling the conversation she had with Mrs. Torres concerning the boys. Her guilt for lying to the older woman returned as she reflected back and tried not to dwell on it as she thought about that one remark that struck the redhead. One remark that jerked Blossom's beliefs and made her rethink everything she thought of prior to speaking with the World War II veteran.

" _Those boys aren't evil, though_."

She squinted her eyes and shook her head. While she understood that Mrs. Torres had seen horrible things during the Second World War, Blossom couldn't help but go over and analyze the three boys they identified as their enemies. Certainly there was some truth in what the Keeper of the Archives had said, but the leader couldn't help but feel that those boys were, perhaps, wolves in sheep's clothing. After all, the world hadn't seen the extent of what those boys could do or what they were capable of. Mojo had a reason to keep the human race around otherwise the humans would have been extinct by now.

Just like the slaves prior to the American Civil War. While she hated comparing and contrasting atrocities in history to see which one was worse, Blossom knew that, if she had to compare, the treatment of the Jewish culture during the Holocaust seemed to be much more severe. The slaves, though enduring mistreatment by their masters and not having the ability to taste freedom for themselves, were at least well kept up enough because their masters saw no profit in killing them. They were fed, clothed, housed and even encouraged to marry. Yes, there may have been selfish motives, but it proved to be an advantaged for the southern slaves.

In contrast, the Jewish race was stripped of their homes, citizenship, clothing, food and lives. Approximately six million men, women and child were murdered in the gas chambers or by being shot. In fact, in a book she recently read, she had discovered that an SS labor camp commander would often shoot random Jewish prisoners as sport – their _own_ slave labor! That showed how important the Jews were to the SS. It was a nightmare for many of the Jews living during the Holocaust. There were no advantages.

So that made Blossom wonder about the Rowdyruff Boys. If the circumstances were changed, how bad would they get? If Mojo allowed the boys to run unchecked and unchallenged, how destructive would they be? Just how devastating would the chaos become and what would the death toll be?

 _The three of them are too dangerous to be kept alive_ , the redheaded girl thought with a frown on her face.

" _Those boys aren't evil, though_."

She sighed heavily. There was that pesky statement again. Every time she arrived to that conclusion, Mrs. Torres' words would come back and haunt her. She rubbed her temples. Maybe it wasn't even Mrs. Torres speaking anymore…maybe it was her conscience. Maybe the little angel on her shoulder was starting to hiss that her dark thoughts were not going to solve anything. That what she was thinking about the boys was merely going to make more work and harder problems.

 _Not to mention,_ a little voice whispered in the back of her head, _you'd become no better than them._

She groaned out in frustration. This was maddening. She knew that those boys were too dangerous to have around because of their sheer power and lack of restrain, but she also knew that her morals were coming back to bite her in the butt. She had to get the Rowdyruff Boys would of the picture, but she just didn't know how, she didn't know what to do. Well…

She _did_ know what to do, but she wasn't sure the girls – and herself – were ready or willing to do something like that. Bubbles was barely out of her shell around Boomer, Buttercup was on the verge of starting a brawl with Butch and _she_ had to deal with Brick becoming suspicious of her. Not to mention the guy was as cold as an ice block and didn't let _anyone_ one in. Blossom wouldn't be surprised if Brick kept a lot of secrets from even his brothers. 'Seducing' these boys didn't seem possible at the moment.

"Blossom?"

The redhead glanced up to find Bubbles staring curiously at her. As soon as she saw a smile from her sister, the blonde demurely murmured, "The Professor wants to see us. He said something about England, but I wasn't quite sure. He was speaking fast."

Nodding, Blossom got up and followed her sister out of her room and towards the conference room. When she got there, she found Buttercup already there, slouched in her seat and a scowl upon her face. She was still angry about Butch's comments from the night before. As soon as the other two girls were seated, John nodded at them and said, "This is very important. For the past couple of weeks, I've had Hayate and Setsuko move around the globe to keep an eye on the humans and to comfort them – "

"So that's why there hasn't been any revolts lately!" Bubbles cried.

John nodded. "Yes, exactly. Most of the countries listened to them and promised to not have any rebellions while we work. A lot of them figured it would do nothing but hinder our work here."

Blossom quirked an eyebrow. "What countries have they visited?"

"They've managed to quiet Japan down," replied the older man. "They've also visited Russia, most of upper Europe and some parts of the Middle East, but they're not done." He sighed heavily. "They've barely reached England. In all honesty, they thought the English would be the most cooperative out of the other countries, but they're not."

"They're impatient," Buttercup added. "It makes sense. They haven't done anything yet and now the Brits are wanting action."

"Exactly."

The leader of the three girls glanced at her father. "Okay, so what do you want us to do?"

John sighed again. "Hayate and Setsuko both said that there were specially trained agents working here, in America, on bringing Mojo down and asked for them to be patient, but the English want _proof_ something is being done. They want to _see_ the agents working on the case or they're going to rebel."

"Okay," the blonde agreed with a curt nod. "Then we use the underground system to get to there like we did on our journey from Japan to here. We tell them who we are, answer any questions we can and zip right back home." She smiled. "Besides, I think it's time people see exactly what's going on and know what's going to happen."

"It's a risk," Blossom immediately reprimanded, shaking her head. "How do I know that they're not going to turn around and tell someone of our appearance? It could blow _everything_ we've worked for."

"Not to mention," the scowling teen beside her bit out, "we might not be the faces they expect – or even _want_ – to see. This could blow up in our faces."

"How about we use our disguises?" Bubbles suggested.

Silence befell the room as the occupants thought over the cheerful girl's offer. After a long pause, Buttercup sighed heavily and nodded her head. "It's the best with what we have. That way they'll never recognize the fact that it's us that's doing the work and won't tell the higher-ups that some blonde, raven and redheaded chicks are there trying to overthrow the monkey lord."

"But it could ruin our chances with our disguises," Blossom countered as her face fell in her hands. "What if they find out it's Amber, Brittany, and Cammy that's there? How are you going to explain that one to the boys, huh?"

Bubbles shrugged. "So we make ABC disappear and opt for new disguises."

"And then we're back to square one," the redhead snapped. "Because we'll have to earn their trust all over again and it's not going to be easy because they'll be less likely to trust us because they'll know that ABC had betrayed them." She paused and threw her sisters a pointed look. "Did you even consider that?"

"But if we don't do this, Blossom," countered the blonde, agitated, "then we could loose more lives to a rebellion. Yes, I realize it's a risk that we're taking, but it's something necessary in order to save more lives in the process. We don't even have to stay long. We can put hats on or something to disguise our disguises if we have to. All we have to do is comfort them."

Once again, quiet settled over the conference room as John pensively awaited the response from the leader of the trio. Finally, with huff and sigh, Blossom muttered, "Fine…we'll do it."

"Excellent."

 

* * *

 

It had taken several hours to get changed into their disguises and head to England. What once was a prosperous land full of rich history and culture had all but practically become a wasteland filled with tired people and Chimpanzee guards. It broke the girls' hearts to see the world in such a desolate state and it fueled their need to be rid of Mojo as soon as possible.

When they met up with Setsuko and Hayate, their faces look filled with increasing worry and relief. Setsuko smiled widely when she caught sight of the girls and gave Bubbles a big hug (the blonde was excited to see her master once more) as she said, "Good to see you, girls! I was worried you weren't going to show up. Hayate and I were beginning to plan ways to stop their rebellion."

"Well, we're here now, _sensei_ ," replied Bubbles solemnly, who was adorning her dark, curly wig. Her sisters, likewise, had their disguises on and were ready to face the tired humans. The Japanese woman nodded and motioned for the girls to follow her. They complied and followed her down a dirt path that led to where the humans were.

Blossom's eyes flickered over the landscape. "Are you sure we're safe?"

"We had as few there as we could get," replied the older woman. "We wanted enough there to see you so they would be comforted, but we also knew about your safety so we picked ones we could trust. These people will go back and inform them they saw you and hopefully it'll calm them down."

"And they're agreeing to this?" Buttercup asked as she rose an eyebrow.

Setsuko nodded. "They agree to our choices, feeling that those men were trustworthy. If these men report back that they saw you and were satisfied, they promised they wouldn't do anything. Personally, I believe and trust them."

"Okay, then…"

She smiled at their hesitant expressions as they came upon a rundown barn. "Don't worry, girls. Hayate and I will be here if anything should go wrong after this meeting." Her lips twitched. "Don't forget that we are the ones that trained you and taught you all you know. Well, aside from your superpowers."

At the mention of 'superpowers', Buttercup's fingers fidgeted. "Yeah, I can't wait to use said superpowers. This whole sneaking around crap is doing nothing for me."

"Patience, Buttercup," a deep, masculine voice cut in. The four glanced towards the entrance of the barn and found Hayate peeking through, his facial expression looking very stressed. He nodded at Setsuko and said quietly, "Please come in. I don't know how much longer I can keep them patient. They're starting to get antsy."

With that invitation, Buttercup and the others followed Master Hayate inside the barn and found about a dozen tired Englishmen waiting for them. They looked irritable and about ready to storm out of the barn, but that calmed down when they caught sight of the three girls. Several looked shocked while others looked like they had the carpet pulled out from under them. One of the gentlemen, in the back, shouted, "These are your agents? They look no older than my teenage daughter!"

"Yeah!" chorused the men. "Is this a joke!"

Hayate held up his hands. "I assure you that this is no joke." He glanced at the girls over his shoulder. "I can understand your concerns about the fact that they are young, but they are well trained and disciplined. You must have faith in their abilities."

"It is also because of their youth that we have an advantage," Setsuko added. "Mojo and the others don't expect such young girls to be his enemies."

The three girls and the two masters knew that that was a lie. After all, nearly a year ago, he had sent his three terrifying hell-raisers he called sons to trick and destroy them. If anything, Mojo was terrified of the girls that were standing before the dozen men, but all five foreigners felt that it was necessary to leave that bit of information out.

This seemed to placate the men for a moment before another man spoke up, "Alright, love, suppose we believe you. How can you be sure that these girls can take down Mojo and his boys?" He added a mocking grin to his face. "After all, aren't they concerned that they'll break a nail?"

"I'll show you a 'broken nail', buddy!" snapped Buttercup as she stepped forward to meet the mocking man, but was held back by Blossom's hand and stern glare. The green eyed teenage girl stepped back in place beside her sisters, but crossed her arms and scowled at the men before her.

The man who mocked them laughed heartily. "Well, I'd say that bird has a bit of fire in her!"

"Jerry, enough," another man said calmly. "Leave them poor girls alone."

"Aw, Tommy," whined Jerry childishly, "You always ruin my fun!"

Tommy rolled his eyes at his companion and then turned to face the girls. He gave them a pleasant smile. "I apologize for my mates' lack of respect, ladies. I'm Thomas White, but you can call me Tommy."

"Hello," the girls murmured politely.

"It's a pleasure," the older man replied back cheerfully. His optimistic attitude and gentle demeanor had the girls relaxing considerably. "Girls, if I may ask, what exactly can you reveal to us about what you're doing?"

Blossom stepped forward slightly. "Mr. White, I can only release to you vague information to protect not only ourselves, but our operation as well. I hope that you can understand my position." He nodded and she continued, "At this moment, we are collecting information and stalling any messages to Mojo as much as possible. We are also doing more than that, but unfortunately we cannot this release information for protection purposes."

Tommy nodded. "But you are doing something?"

She gave him a small smile. "Yes, we are."

"About them Rowdyruff Boys?" interrupted Jerry rudely, earning a glare from Buttercup and couple of other men in the group. He shoved his hands in his pockets. "What exactly are you planning on doing about them, eh? They're rather powerful, if I do say so myself. How can you pipsqueaks deal with them?"

Buttercup grumbled several profanities underneath her breath and looked ready to pounce him, but was stopped when a shorter man smacked Jerry upside the head, issuing a "Bugger!" from the man. This seemed to satisfied the dark-haired girl as she relaxed once more and Bubbles spoke up, "Mr. Jerry, I understand your concerns about the boys, but don't worry. We have a plan that will deal with every part of Mojo's kingdom – including regional lords and the Rowdyruff Boys."

"That's good," replied Tommy for Jerry, giving the man beside him a stern glare. The girls, in turn, smiled politely at their new acquaintance. A lull passed over the barn before the older man sighed heavily. "Well, I'm thoroughly convinced that these girls are going to do some good for us." He bowed his head slightly. "You have my full confidence and word that I will do everything in my power to make sure that no rebellion happens so you can work in peace."

Blossom smiled. "Thank you."

The men behind Tommy nodded in agreement. Jerry, who had been silenced, smirked and said, "Ah, girls, don't worry about me either. I give everyone a hard time. I promise, too, to make sure nothin' happens." His smirk widened. "Besides, you look like a group of trustworthy girls if you can take my digs." He took off the hat he was wearing. "Upon my honor as an English gentlemen, we shall hold back the rebellion."

Bubbles squealed. "Thank you, Mr. Jerry!"

Jerry winked at her. "Just call me Jerry, love."

 

* * *

 

"Have you gotten those computers back up yet, Brick?"

The redheaded ruff glared at his creator, who was currently sitting behind his huge desk. Mistrust had always been present between the two, but lately it had dramatically increased. The Monkey King had been rather secretive as of late and that didn't sit well with the leader of the Rowdyruff Boys – especially since Mojo refused to include Brick in on his plans. That didn't bode well for him and his brothers, in Brick's opinion.

"Not yet."

Mojo frowned deeply. "You mean to tell me we are a week into this computer blackout and you _still_ haven't gotten them back up _or_ figured out who is the culprit behind it?"

Brick momentarily thought of telling Mojo that he suspected that it was Cammy behind the computer blackout, but stopped as soon as he thought better of it. He had other suspicions about Cammy and if Mojo imprisoned her (or worse), Brick would never get whatever information out the auburn-haired girl. Even if Cammy wasn't somehow related to the computer blackout, she might know who it was. After all, the servants did gossip a lot and she might have heard something.

"…Hm, you must be going soft, Brick."

Well, now he wasn't going to tell Mojo anything just for saying such a thing about him! Gritting his teeth, Brick huffed and said acidly, "I am not going soft, Mojo. Maybe if you hadn't made those doors out of Tungsten metal, we wouldn't be here. We told you that we would need to break into those doors if this situation were to happen, but you insisted on not listening to us." He glared. "Besides, humans certainly can't break into it by physicality."

"Well, they certainly did now," Mojo snapped, not wanting to be corrected.

Brick pinched the bridge of his nose. "No, I'm fairly certain they got into the room by other means. After all, there was no physical trauma to those doors outside. My brothers and I had managed to get a hold of blueprints surrounding the Computer Mainframe and we noticed there were several vents leading into the room."

The primate tapped his fingers on his desk. " _And_?"

"And," growled the redhead, "I was right about saying that you needed to cut those vents leading to that room and have the guards use fans, for all I care! Your culprit didn't break in through the doors! They broke in through the _vents_!"

Silence passed through the room until the red ruff continued, his voice in a low hiss, "So, before you accuse me of going soft, maybe you should think about _your_ mistakes." He turned to leave, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Until I can get into that room, your computers aren't going to be up anytime soon."

 

* * *

 

"Personally, I think they're spoiled."

"Well, duh. I mean, who wouldn't be if you were going out with the Rowdyruff Boys?"

"I think they're just whores. Why else would those boys pay attention to them?"

"Maybe Amber and Brittany, but not Cammy."

"Why not Cammy? Brick's never paid attention to any girl before! Cammy must be giving him something, too."

"I heard she's just an assistant and simply went with him to the gala because he was blackmailed into asking her."

"Yeah, but why was she an assistant in the first place, hm?"

"…'Cause she's smart?"

"Yeah, smart about – "

"Elle, don't you dare finish that sentence!"

"Don't lecture me, Heather!"

"Shut up, you two! What I want to know is how in the world is Brittany keeping Butch's attention?"

"Gina's got the right idea! That's the million dollar question!"

Three servant girls were huddled in a corner, gossiping in hushed tones. They should have been doing their chores, but weren't. In fact, since Mrs. Brown wasn't anywhere _near_ them, they continued to gossip, unaware that Brittany was several feet any from them. The redhead's face was flushing and a scowl was growing even more apparent. If she wasn't in a bad mood before, she was now and wanted nothing more than to snap those girls in half.

Buttercup had managed to slip in some time after lunch (when they got back from England) and was ready to face Butch, but was stopped when she heard the gossip the group of girls were whispering to each other. While her temper had been foul before because of the comments her opposite had made the prior night, it had doubled as she listened to this 'Elle' make insinuations about herself and her sisters.

"Brittany's got to be serving something up to Butch!"

The green-eyed girl clenched her fists and was about to move around the corner from the hall she was hiding behind to hurt them, when she heard a distinct, masculine voice shout, "Brittany, there you are!"

The girls gasped when they heard the object of their gossip tryst's name being called out. They glanced over their shoulders and found Buttercup leaning against the wall and taking turns glaring between them and Butch. The green ruff, however, didn't seem to be paying attention to the scene because he simply winked at the gossiping girls and then scooped Buttercup up into his arms. "Hi, babe."

"Don't call me that," she snapped angrily.

He blinked. "Woah, what's got your panties in a twist?" He smirked devilishly. "Is it me, cupcake?"

She pushed herself away from him and sighed heavily, irritated. "Not in that sense, you pigheaded jerk!"

Now, this time Butch understood that the girl he was supposedly going out with was not happy. This time, he frowned and crossed his arms over his chest. "What the hell is your problem?"

" _You_!"

His facial expression hardened. "Me? Why do you have a problem with _me_? I'm the one that plucked you from obscurity and let you tag along with me wherever I go! Or did you forget both the gala and the carnival that I took you to?"

She snorted and rolled her eyes. "I'm surprised you even know the word 'obscurity'."

By this point, people in the room were starting to watch the argument between the two unfold. Even Brick and Boomer, who had been in the next room over, had walked in to see what the fuss was about. Butch, sensing that people were watching, growled. "Stop being such a bitch about this, Brittany. Most girls would be happy that I am taking them to these things!"

"See, that's the thing," Brittany replied acidly. "I'm not like most girls. I didn't want you to take me to these things!"

In her mind, she could see her sisters yelling at her for this argument. She could possibly blow everything over with Butch and that would severely piss off her leader, but Buttercup could care less about what was going on at the moment. She needed to get this off of her chest and into this man's thickheaded skull.

The green ruff gave her an incredulous stare. "What are you _talking_ about?"

The teenage girl rubbed her temples. "You boys always think that 'no' means 'yes'! Well guess what, loser, it doesn't! I means 'no' and I said _not interested_! Remember that one?" She sighed heavily. "But, fine, whatever, you took me to the stupid gala and carnival! The least you could do is pay attention to me while we're there!"

"I did!" he shouted.

"Yeah, like, trying to feel me up or flirting with other girls in my presence is _not_ giving me the right amount of attention," she replied back, crossing her arms over her chest and glaring at the boy. This earn several hissing gasps from the females in the room and they gave Butch the proper scowl. The ruff seemed to notice this because he was at a loss for words. Buttercup continued, "You know, Butch, I, like, don't appreciate womanizers…because that's what you are."

Butch spluttered. "Womanizer!"

She smirked, knowing she was winning this argument. "Yeah, like, do you need me to get you a dictionary so you can look up the word?"

This earned giggles from several of the occupants and the green ruff felt his face flushed from both embarrassment and anger. Brick, from the entrance, frowned when he noticed the embarrassment his brother was receiving. While the red ruff felt his brother did deserve it, he was about to let that girl win the argument just yet. He had to end this before it got out of control. So, in a loud, strong voice, he called out, "Butch!"

Everyone quieted when they heard the leader of the Rowdyruff Boys' voice ring out. Butch turned around to find his brother sending him a harsh glare as he said, "Yeah, Brick?"

"Get your ass over here," the other boy snapped. "We have planning to do." He turned his red eyes over the servants. "And the rest of you get back in line before I decide to do something to you."

The servants jumped back to work as Butch left the room hastily. The redheaded ruff sent the redheaded girl a glare before he left, his blonde brother following close behind him. Buttercup, however, brushed off the glare since she left exceedingly pleased that she managed to humiliate her counterpart. Sure, she could feel the repercussions of it later, but for now, she felt like she managed to feel better.

"Um, Brittany?"

Buttercup turned to the small voice to her side and found Gina, Heather, and Elle staring at her, amazement and respect in their faces. "What?"

"That was awesome," Gina spoke up.

"Yeah," the other two agreed.

A part of Buttercup wanted to tell them off as well, but remembered that Blossom wanted the humans on the girls' side when they attacked. And what better way of having the humans on their side than the palace workers. It sure would make a lot of things easier for the girls. So, her lips twitched in amusement and she lightly said, "It was, like, no problem."

"Did you really tell him you weren't interested?" Elle asked.

She nodded. "Yeah, but, like, the guy just doesn't take a hint."

The room stilled for a second before Heather cautiously said, "About what you heard…we're sorry. I know it wasn't right to assume anything before we got the information." She shifted her weight. "We should've come to you first, but I – _we_ – were just jealous that you got to do all this cool stuff while we worked."

Buttercup's heart really went out for these girls. This was why Blossom wanted to take responsibility for her actions. While the green puff certainly (and still) felt like the world would turn on them the moment they were free, she honestly did feel bad for these teenage girls who were ripped from their childhood the moment that Mojo took over the world. "It's okay."

"So, um, inquiring minds want to know," Gina hesitated as she watched the disguised girl. "How did you guys get the boys' interest?"

Brittany shrugged. "I, like, told Butch 'not interested' and he didn't take the hint. Not to mention, I played him in a card game and I guess he thought I meant 'yes'." The girls nodded. "Cammy is smart and Brick needed a smart assistant to help him while Amber…well, I think Boomer likes her 'cause she's, like, nice and she told him that she was, like, scared of him or something."

The three girls blinked before Elle said, "That's…it? You guys were just different?"

"I guess," drawled the bored 'redhead'.

"Oh."

"But, like, take my advice and just leave the boys alone," continued the disguised teenager. "Those boys aren't worth it. They're actually kind of boring."

The other girls nodded again and began walking away. "Thanks!"

"Like, welcome."

 

* * *

 

Amber was wandering the hallways looking for Boomer some time after Buttercup had her argument with Butch. Her redheaded sister had muttered underneath her breath (through their communicator) about wanting to strangle Brittany some time ago and then said that she would have to do damage control. The normally cheerful girl could only hope – for the sake of everyone – that Blossom could rectify the argument between Buttercup and Butch in the Rowdyruff Boys' eyes before another argument broke out between the two sisters.

So, while Blossom left to go find Brick and Buttercup waited for her sisters to finish, Bubbles went in search for Boomer. A part of her felt bad about having to lie to Boomer all the time about her identity, but she also knew that it was for the better. She needed to keep the blonde boy distracted and also try and get information out of him about Mojo's plans. That was, if he knew anything.

She had wandered around for a good half an hour and she started to get tired when she heard a strangled gasp and crash just around the corner. Furrowing her eyebrows, she rushed around the corner, thinking someone tripped and got hurt, but stopped when she saw something else entirely.

She watched with wide eyes as Boomer slammed a man against the wall, his eyes narrowed, and hissed dangerously, "Brick told you that you had a deadline to get those doors open and you haven't done it yet. Can you explain to me _why_ this is so?"

"My lord –!" gasped the poor man, who was struggling to both breathe and get out of the iron grip from the blue ruff. "You must understand! Ack! This is made out of some of the strongest metal on Earth! We are trying to get the doors open – ack! – but we have been put on strict instructions to try and not damage the doors as much as possible! ACK!"

The blonde inched closer to the man, his face twisted into a dark frown. "Do I look like I care? Listen up! If you don't get those doors opened in another week, your family is going to suffer, you hear me? We are getting impatient!" When the man didn't answer, he smashed him further into the wall, "I asked a question!"

"Y-yes, my lord Boomer!" the man gasped. "But p-please – ack! – don't h-hurt my family!"

"Shut up!"

Boomer tossed the man down the hall, not caring about what happened. He watched with a dark expression as the man crumpled into a ball and began weeping. He frowned deeply and was about to go after the man for crying, but was stopped when he heard a small gasp. His eyes flickered behind him and found Amber watching the scene, her hands pressed to her mouth and her eyes wide with fear.

Dropping the harsh pretense, Boomer looked both shocked and horrified at the fact that the girl had seen and heard what he had done. "Amber, um – "

He reached for her, but she flinched, thinking back to the day when he had hurt her mercilessly. When she had watched the scene unfold before her, she was reminded of what he could do to her and her sisters. While she was certainly taught to defend herself, the scared little girl she once was resurfaced and she had become frightened once more. The thought of escape had become prevalent and she had done that very thing.

When he tried to come up to her, she gasped out once more and ran away, not turning to look back at the teenage boy behind her. All she wanted to do was find Buttercup or Blossom and cry in their arms.

 

* * *

 

"Your friend made quite the commotion today," Brick calmly said as he gave Cammy a hard stare. The two were currently in Brick's room and were going through his notes about Professor Utonium, Sara Bellum, Sandra Keane and Mayor J. Mayor. When the girl didn't respond, he sighed. "Did you hear me?"

"Yes," she replied nonchalantly. Blossom had since disregarded the stutter since all it seemed to do was annoy Brick more than anything. In turn, she just opted for a more quiet version of herself. "I heard you, but I'm trying to read and organize this."

Brick frowned. "Maybe some of the servants are right about you girls having gotten too comfortable with us."

The auburn-haired girl released an annoyed breath and glanced up at the irritated boy across from her. "Yes, Brittany made quite the commotion today, but can you blame her?" At the cross look Brick was giving her, she continued, "The boy is a womanizer. He doesn't ever pay attention to his date when he's with her and Brittany's not the type of girl to go out with a guy like that. She's not going to waste her time on someone who won't treat her right."

She added in thought, _Even at the expense of a mission._

"Your brother deserved it."

Brick stared at her, his face twisted in contemplation. She was right, he knew, and he didn't like it. He crossed his arms over his chest in a childlike fashion and bit out, "I don't like this new version of you."

She rolled her eyes. "You're the one that complained I stuttered too much."

He scoffed. "Whatever."

Her lips twitched in amusement. "And you're still not good at casual conversation."

"Shut up."

She bit on her bottom lip to keep herself from laughing at the situation. Blossom could hardly believe she was having a semi-normal conversation with this boy in front of her and she knew she didn't want to ruin the atmosphere. If she laughed, he would think it was at him (rather than at the situation) and shut her out.

Brick suddenly sighed. "Didn't I say you were going to ruin your teeth if you kept doing that with your bottom lip?"

The teenage girl released her bottom lip. Silence passed between the two as Blossom continued organizing her counterpart's notes. Brick got up, walked over to her and picked out a picture from the pile of papers next to her. He sat down next to her and showed her the picture. "Can you tell me anything about these girls?"

She glanced at the photo and pulled her bottom lip into her teeth in thought. It was a picture of herself and her sisters when they were little. She glanced up at him, finding him staring at her with a neutral expression on his face, before she glanced back down at the picture in his hands. "Not really."

"Didn't you go to school with them?"

Blossom remained silent as she thought back to the information she collected on Cammy Anderson and tried to remember anything. Finally, she came up with an answer. "I don't remember them. I went to Townsville Elementary. What school did they go to?"

Brick frowned. "Pokey Oaks."

"Ah, see, I don't know them."

The red ruff frowned and watched the girl that was sitting on his bed. She went back to copying his notes and her bottom lip once again went back to going under her teeth. If she was lying, he didn't know because this girl seemed to be good at it. Narrowing his eyes, he thought, _I'm going to get nowhere prying information out of her. She's too good. As far as I know, she hasn't made a single slip. I'm going to have to make her nervous again if I want anything…or get her to trust me_.

Absentmindedly, he plucked her bottom lip from her teeth as he went back to thinking. _If she is my counterpart, like I'm starting to suspect she is, then she'd be good at lying and faking identification. She'd know how to match me toe for toe._ He sighed. _Then we're going to definitely change my game plan if that's the case_.

For several days now, Brick had been suspicious about Cammy being his counterpart, Blossom. While she certainly didn't have the right hair or eye color, he was sure that she'd figure out a way around that. After all, Mojo had collected information about the girls and his information said that his counterpart was smart like him. It would make sense.

 _But…would she put herself in harm's way underneath our noses_? he pondered. _It's a risky gamble._

"Stop doing that," he muttered as he, once again, made sure that she wasn't biting her bottom lip.

She frowned at him. "It's a habit that I do while thinking!"

"Well, it's a bad habit," He retorted.

She sighed, agitated, and that simple sound made Brick annoyed in turn. For the past couple of hours, she had made many noises of being irritated. The first couple of times he had ignored it, but now it was starting to get underneath his skin. "Has anyone ever told you that you are the most vexatious child to inhabit this Earth?"

She glared at him. "Don't call me a child, especially since you're about my age. And I am not annoying! I'm the one annoyed here!"

He rose an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"I'm _annoyed_ ," she replied slowly, as if he were idle on the uptake. "As in irritated, bothered, ennuyé, irked, and fed up."

He scowled, his face darkening as she listed off various synonyms for the word 'annoyed'. He huffed and shook his head. "I'm not an idiot! I know what the word means! I simply cannot believe the audacity of such a simpleton like you telling me such a thing! Most people cower at me because of what I can do to them!" He got up from where he was sitting. "I don't know why I put up with you!"

"So put me back in the archives and leave me alone."

He glowered. "I don't take orders from inferiors like you! In fact, I don't take orders from _anyone_!"

She gave him an even stare. "Unless, of course, they're from Mojo."

This made him go still. He went rigid the moment the words left her mouth and he looked like he didn't know whether to kill himself or her for bringing such a thing out into the open. His face twisted into a grimace as he spat out. "What did you say?"

"You heard me," she answered, not wavering underneath his gaze. When he didn't answer, she said in a hushed voice, "Brick, why do you stay with Mojo?"

"That's none of your concern!" he replied sharply. Was she trying to turn him against Mojo? What scheme was this girl operating under? It was treason to ask anyone that question! A crime that she could be put to death for! She was really that audacious to ask such a thing of him, of all people? She must have been severely deranged! "And don't ever ask such a thing again!"

As if she was reading his mind, she murmured, "I'm not asking that to turn you against him. I'm asking merely as a friend, Brick. Why are you with him? Enlighten me. I'm curious."

He grabbed her roughly, forcing her to stand up and dropping the papers on her lap onto the floor. He glanced around the room and hissed, "Didn't I say not to ask such a thing again? Are you deaf, woman, or ingenuously foolish? _Be quiet_!"

"But – " she began.

" _Silence_!" he whispered. "I am trying to save your sorry ass here! The walls have ears, you know!"

"Brick, I – "

"Leave."

She blinked. "The papers on the – "

"Leave!"

Saying nothing more, she quickly walked out of the room, not bothering to glance behind her or picking up the papers on the floor. As soon as she was gone, he plopped down on to his bed again and rubbed his temples. He didn't understand this girl. A part of him felt like he wanted to try his luck by having a friendship with her, but another part of him said that she could be fooling him into it. She was confusing him and was defying everything that had been pounded into his head since he was born.

Nobody had ever dared argue with him or defy Mojo before. Nobody had ever tested his temper with such passion before. She was doing something that no human (or woman!) had ever tried in his presence and he couldn't help but feel a grudging amount of respect for her because of that. Even if she was enemy underneath it all, she had more guts than anyone he had ever come across in his life.

 

* * *

 

The underground base had been still for the past couple days since the girls' encounter with the boys. Blossom had been somewhat indignant towards Buttercup for the argument between her and Butch, she also couldn't help but feel a wave of respect go out towards her sister. Instead of blowing up on her like everyone else thought she would, Blossom merely made Buttercup promise to patch things up with Butch as soon as she cooled off about the fight. Buttercup reluctantly agreed.

Bubbles had been a mystery as soon as the blonde had come home. She had ripped off her wig and secluded herself in her room the moment she got back. John had tried prying the girl out of her room, but she wouldn't come. Even when Ms. Bellum and Ms. Keane tried talking to her, she hadn't opened her mouth. In fact, her face was all but vacant and the adults could only wonder what happened to the young girl.

It wasn't until the older adults convinced Blossom and Buttercup to speak with their sister that they hoped for some change. Both girls had tentatively enter the dark room and found Bubbles curled up on her bed, staring vacantly at the wall.

"Bubbles?" whispered Blossom into the dark.

There was no response and both Blossom and Buttercup exchanged worried looks. Entering cautiously into the room, the girls didn't know what to expect. They watched sadly as their sister stared at the wall across from her and sat down on her bed. They shocked her when Buttercup gently touched her and the blonde squeaked out in fear. The dark-haired girl pulled back and said, "Bubbles, it's just me, Buttercup."

Bubbles didn't say anything again and Blossom furrowed her eyebrows. "Sweetie, what's wrong? It's me and Buttercup." No response. "C'mon, Bubbles, talk to us."

"Boomer…"

Buttercup rose an eyebrow. "Boomer? What did Boomer do?" Her face hardened. "If he did anything to you, I swear I'm going to hurt him! Nobody touches my sisters!"

"He scared me," the blonde murmured, her voice shaking.

The redhead rose an eyebrow. "Scared you? What happened?"

There was a pregnant pause before Bubbles whimpered, "He was threatening a man. Said something about Brick giving orders and the man not following them. Boomer smashed him into the wall and threatened his family." Her eyes filled tears. "He scared me. He was so mean and rough and…and…"

She buried her head in Buttercup's arms as Blossom finished the sentence, "And you were reminded of the day that Boomer beat you up." The crying girl nodded and the leader sighed heavily. She had known her sister had been scared because of that day, but she hadn't known Bubbles had been _that_ scared. Shaking her head, she gently took her sister from Buttercup's arms and said, "Listen to me, Bubbles, and listen to me good."

Bubbles sniffled. "I'm listening."

"Good," replied Blossom solemnly as Buttercup watched on quietly. "What happened that day was horrible. It was something that shouldn't have happened to any of us and something we're all still scared of." Bubbles' face flashed with guilt. "And it is something you shouldn't feel like your at fault."

"But I – " the girl began.

The redheaded genius shook her head. "No. You're not at fault. What happened was horrific, yes, but something that can be changed. Yes, Boomer scared you, but imagine the millions of others that are even worse off than you. He, his brothers and Mojo all hold a power over millions and he could easily hurt and kill them."

 _Those boys aren't evil, though_.

She paused briefly when Mrs. Torres' words came back to he, but hastily recovered. "But we have the power to put a stop to that. You mustn't allow your fear to show. You have to be strong and remember that while they are scary, we can just be just as scary back to them. We have to protect the humans from them. Only _we_ can do that. You do want to help, right?"

Bubbles nodded. "Yeah."

"Then put on a brave face and whenever he scares you, remember that you can do to him what he did to you," finished Blossom. Beside her, Buttercup nodded at the words. Bubbles thought over her sister's words before she, too, nodded. Satisfied, Blossom smiled. "Good."

"And besides," piped up the green-eyed girl. "We have your back, remember?"

The blonde smiled and then released a giggle. This caused the other two to smile. Once Bubbles' demeanor raised considerably, she dragged them both in a hug as a way of saying thank you to them. As they hugged, a knock came at the door and Ms. Bellum poked her head in. "Blossom, we intercepted a message from Rocko Socko. Thought you might want to see it."

Blossom pulled away from the hug, her face serious. "What does it say?"

"He wants to declare war on Hota Wata."


	17. Rook

" _War_?"

Ms. Bellum pursed her lips tightly and nodded as the three sisters fell into shock. The merry atmosphere that had been present in the room prior to the assistant's arrival had all been shattered as it was replaced by a heavy, dark cloud. Blossom jumped to her feet as Bubbles blinked rapidly in confusion and Buttercup's jaw bobbed, words unable to come to her. A frown etched on the redhead's face as she said, "Where did you get this message? No, wait, _when_? _How_?"

The older woman sighed heavily as she brought out a slip of paper from her clothes and handed it to the pink-eyed teenager. "We got the message from the post office. Ever since the communications systems were shut down, Mojo has been having everyone correspond through the regular post office."

Buttercup, coming back to her senses, frowned. "Who exactly gave you this message? Can we trust them?"

Her two sisters mumbled their agreements as Sara responded, "Of course we can. Our inside person in the post office is former police chief, Anthony Hittledee."

Bubbles rose an eyebrow. "Do you guys have inside people _everywhere_?"

"Not exactly everywhere, but enough," Ms. Bellum explained. "We've been planning on getting you girls to help us since about a couple of days after your departure. It took a little while to get some volunteers to help us when we need it. Chief Hittledee has been an extraordinary help as has Wayne Stiles."

"Who's Wayne Stiles?"

"A local news reporter," replied the vivacious woman. "He's been keeping tabs on Mojo and the boys for awhile. He works as a butler of sorts for Mojo, so he knows whenever the palace is empty. When it comes to finally tearing down Mojo's castle, he's the guy we're going to need to help us."

Blossom shook her head and rubbed her chin. Something felt off about this entire situation. She couldn't help but feel like something bigger was unfolding and she was unaware of it. She even doubted, at this point, that Brick knew what was going on. She noticed that there seemed to be a slight riff between him and his creator. Snapping her gaze to Buttercup and Bubbles, she said, "I need one of you to do me a favor."

The two girls glanced at their leader while the blonde quietly asked, "What is it?"

"I need one of you to speak with your counterparts concerning Brick and Mojo. Find out how well their relationship is with one another."

Buttercup snorted. "Oh yeah and I'm the perfect person because, you know, I didn't just get into an argument with _Señor_ Blockhead."

"No need for sarcasm, Buttercup," Blossom retorted in a warning tone. "Besides you're going to need to make up with him soon if we're going to get anything out of him."

"'Anything out of him'?" the raven-haired girl wailed incredulously. "Leader Girl, the guy has air for brains. We're not going to get _anything_ out of him! All he does is gamble, drink and womanize! I'm sorry, but as far as Butch is concerned, there is _nothing_ there."

Blossom sighed heavily. "Then we need you there, at least, to keep tabs on him." Buttercup grumbled, but didn't say anything on the matter anymore as Blossom turned to a very quiet Bubbles and said, "Bubbles, I think it's up to you."

The blonde girl glanced down at her bed and started picking at her covers. In a small voice, she whispered, "Do I have to?"

Both Buttercup and Blossom exchanged glances. "Don't tell me you're still scared of Boomer?"

"A little."

"We just talked about this," Blossom sighed, exasperated. Seriously, was she the only one who was willing to do this? It was ridiculous! Buttercup, she could understand, when it came to what they were doing. The girl never wanted to do this mission in the first place, but Bubbles, on the other hand, had no room for hesitation. The blonde jumped on the bandwagon when Professor Utonium offered them their redemption.

"I know, but…"

"Bubbles," Buttercup snapped as she crossed her arms over her chest, "get over it. Yes, he did something 'scary', but it's no more scarier than what Brick or Butch could do, but you don't see me or Leader Girl running away with our tails between our legs." Her frown increased. "Stop being scared of everything. You claim you want to live life, but you won't be able to if you're always hiding underneath the covers!"

Blossom and Ms. Bellum shared a glance, surprised at the inspiring (but rough) way of Buttercup reprimanding her terrified sister. Buttercup continued, not paying attention to the two redheads behind her. "You've been trained to take on people ten times your size! Why don't you start acting like the hero you want to become and suck it up." She paused briefly and then smirked. "Or are you always going to be the baby between the three of us?"

Bubbles glared. "I am _not_ a baby, Buttercup."

The emerald-eyed girl scoffed. "Coulda fooled me."

"I'm not!"

Buttercup's face turned very solemn as she stared at her sister straight in the eyes. "Then prove it."

A tense silence befell the room as Buttercup and Bubbles glared at each other. Neither moved from where they were and it didn't look like either were going to relent. Blossom, from the side, knew that Buttercup provoked Bubbles only to get the blonde back into the field, but she also knew that Bubbles didn't know that. Deciding to break it up before another war decided erupted between them, she turned to Ms. Bellum and remarked, "You know, I find it odd that Rocko Socko or Mojo didn't have certain procedures (or take precautions, for that matter) to have such messages privately sent. Isn't it a bit risky to have declarations of war be sent so…unprotected?"

Ms. Bellum furrowed her eyebrows. "Now that you mention it, you're right. You would think Rocko Socko would find a way to sent that message via messenger rather than mail it."

"Or Mojo demand that's how messages be sent, at least, instead of through the post office," Blossom followed the thought process, her face twisted into thought. "You would thought that he – "

She paused and gasped, causing the other occupants in the room to jump from surprise. The redheaded girl slapped her forehead and shook her head, displaying her feelings of stupidity openly. "Why didn't I think of this before? Mojo knows that we're going to intercept the messages! He _wants_ us to know what he's going to do next!"

"Why would he do that?" Buttercup questioned, raising an eyebrow. "Wouldn't that be self-defeating?"

The leader shook her head. "Not really. He hopes that if we know what he's up to, we'll come out in the open to stop him. He'll be prepared for us while we're caught off guard because he'd have a trap ready for us."

Again, silence enshrouded the room. After a couple of minutes of quiet, Bubbles got up from her bed, walked over to Blossom and quietly asked, "So what do we do about the declaration of war? Can we stop it from happening without Mojo knowing?"

"It's risky," murmured the pink-clad girl, more to herself than to her teammate. "I don't know how else to stop the war unless we take out Rocko Socko and Hota Wata now, but – "

"So why don't we?" interrupted the dark-haired tomboy.

"It could be a trap," Ms. Bellum answered sadly. "Mojo could have followed that thought process."

"But he also couldn't have followed that thought process."

Blossom shook her head. "I'm not willing to risk that."

Buttercup scowled. "Except hundreds of people could die if we allow this war to go on! Are you willing to risk that, too? We have to stop this stupid war from happening, Blossom, or have you forgotten our so-called pursuit of 'taking responsibility'?"

The hotheaded leader glared, allowing some sparks of her short temper to show. "I realize that, so don't lecture me! I understand that hundreds of people could die from this war, Buttercup, for a war they don't even care about, but think about the bigger picture, will you! If we go and it _is_ a trap and we're caught, think about the hundreds more that could die if we're unable to fight back!" She crossed her arms and hissed, "Have _you_ forgotten Mojo has plans he's creating on the side; no doubt for our human friends."

Buttercup fell quiet, effectively, grudgingly humbled while Bubbles exhaled deeply. "So, again, what do we do about this war?"

Blossom sat down on her sister's bed, falling into deep contemplation. She knew the risks that were present should they decide to take out Hota Wata and Rocko Socko. However, it wasn't something she wanted to gamble on. Yet, on the other hand, she also knew the potential deaths that could surmount should they do nothing about this war, which was something Blossom also didn't want to happen. Biting her bottom lip, she murmured, "We're going to have to use this war to our advantage."

"How?" asked Ms. Bellum.

Again, she thought over the possibilities. Finally, she closed her eyes and said, "We're going to have to get Hota Wata and Rocko Socko to distrust Mojo's intentions for this war. Make them think that Mojo is on their opponent's side rather than theirs."

Realization hit Bubbles first as she smiled and finished the thought, "So when we take Mojo out for good, neither will come to his rescue."

"Exactly," replied Blossom with a nod. She turned to Ms. Bellum. "What countries does Rocko Socko and Hota Wata rule?"

The mayor's assistant tapped her chin lightly. "Rocko Socko rules mostly over Southeast Asia while Hota Wata rules over North and South Korea, Taiwan and, we've recently cataloged, Mongolia." She paused. "Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching may come to the aid of Hota Wata, also, if he feels that China or Japan is being threatened."

"Can you ask Hayate-san and Setsuko-san to head over there?" the redheaded asked again.

She received an odd look. "What for?"

"Because they're going to start some rumors about Mojo."

 

* * *

 

Mojo Jojo was no fool.

To think he had been ignorant of what was going on in his kingdom was stupid. Moreover, to think that he didn't know what was going on with his sons was just plain idiocy. After all, if Mojo was as blind and as stupid was many people were starting to believe, he wouldn't have been able to trick the girls into making his lab, creating an army full of apes in the process, years ago. Then, on top of that, create multitudes of Chimpanzee guards for himself and for the regional lords around the world.

He had seen _Planet of the Apes_ and he had seen what he liked. He had created a race of strong, smart and ambitious primates that had governments in their own countries, collaborated with him every so often and hold congressional meetings with each other every other year to report everything.

He was also intelligent enough to know that having all humans under oppression was imbecilic, so he allowed the wealthiest and most intelligent to be free so they would claim absolute loyalty to him. He showered the freed humans with royalties and they loved him for it, never entertaining thoughts of overthrowing him.

He also realized that his regional lords, being ambitious and intelligent, were bound to want to rule over him, thus he created the Rowdyruff Boys. He was pleased with the sheer power and ability these boys had when they first terrorized the world. He also knew that they could potentially kick him out when they got smart enough, therefore causing him to insert a chip of antidote into the Chemical X they had flowing through their veins. Should Brick convince his brothers to turn on Mojo, Mojo simply would push a button on his wrist and the boys would wish bye-bye to their powers.

He also, in the past, was fully aware of the enemy in John Utonium and his creations. He knew those girls would be able to fight just as well and just as intelligent as his boys should they have decided to get rid of them. He knew that those girls were pretty and it didn't take a man (or primate) with 20/20 vision to see that their feminine wiles could be used against the boys if they played their cards right.

The humans were the last problem. If they got _too_ smart, that would be dangerous. If they got too strong, it would be fatal. So, he stopped education for humans and didn't really allow physical education for them. They were going to be a race full of idiots with little strength as far as the Monkey King was concerned.

So, Mojo countered all of the obstacles that would be in his way as he ruled not only the city of Townsville, but the entire world. He felt secure and sure that his kingdom was stable and nothing would take it out of his hands. He felt that he was an invincible ruler, the likes that his hero, Napoleon, couldn't even dream of.

Yet, somehow, someone was destroying his rule little by little. He safely assumed it was Utonium for that was the only one that Mojo could think of that would be smart enough to counteract everything that Mojo was putting into place. It was absurd for the man to continue his plight, Mojo figured, because he had no power or strength to back his intelligence.

It frustrated him that his communications, security and power systems were all down and that Brick hadn't really accomplished much in the means of figuring out who, officially, was trashing his kingdom (despite Mojo's suspicions) or getting the systems back up. Despite all this, Mojo had a plan.

While unaware of who his enemies were, Blossom had been right in assuming Mojo had allowed those messages to be slipped through. He hoped, as Plan A, these anonymous heroes would be ignorant and rash enough to come out into the open when he allowed Rocko Socko and Hota Wata to declare war on each other. If that failed, then Mojo would allow whatever Brick had up his sleeve to be Plan B.

Both Hota Wata and Rocko Socko were aware that this war was not a real one, but a staged one that Mojo created. Sure, there would be Chimpanzee guards, primate military personnel and humans that might die in the process, but the Monkey King figured it was a sacrifice that must be made in order to secure his kingdom even more so than it was before.

Mojo Jojo was no fool.

His sharp eyes watched from the shadows as Butch allowed that human girl, Brittany, tell him off in front of the other humans. He was not pleased about that one. He watched as Boomer shirked a majority of his duties to have fun with this Amber girl. He was extremely displeased about Boomer's lack of progress. And he watched as Brick went head-to-head with this Cammy girl. He was infinity suspicious about it.

Amber Smith, Brittany Johnson and Cameron Anderson.

These names were, somehow, becoming the bane of Mojo's existence right alongside the name 'John Utonium'. These girls were dangerous, in Mojo's eyes. He saw Butch's intimidation factor dwindling in the presence of his human consort. He noticed the flicker of doubt and guilt pass through Boomer's eyes whenever he saw something that the humans considered 'unjust' happening to them. He could see Brick's sharp edge and icy exterior slowly melting – without the red ruff's knowledge, even. Mojo knew he needed to get rid of these girls.

"But how?" he wondered aloud, alone in his office.

 

* * *

 

" _It's their fault!"_

" _I knew they were no good!"_

" _Professor, we didn't want this!"_

" _Liars!_

" _Fibbers!"_

" _You've doomed us all!"_

" _Please, Professor, please believe us."_

" _I don't know who to believe. I thought you were good."_

Buttercup narrowed her eyes and clenched her fists as the memories flooded back to her. Though she never really spoke about that experience as freely as Bubbles would have, she was still deeply hurt and frustrated by what had happened a little over twelve years ago. Sometimes she didn't know who was she more angry at: Mojo for tricking them, the people for hating them, the Professor for not believing them or herself for allowing everything to happen.

"This is such a messed up situation," she grumbled to herself as she continued to sort through the disorganized computer files of Mojo's plans.

"Yes, it certainly is."

The green-clad girl clenched her jaw, recognizing the voice of the Professor. She continued typing on the computer and ignored her father and creator, still not exactly happy with him nor wanting to speak with him. When she didn't answer, John sighed heavily. "Buttercup?"

She frowned. "Leave me alone."

"Buttercup, please don't be like that."

She turned to face him and growled, "Why shouldn't I? I have every right to act like this with you. You don't have a right act like a father because a father would've believe that his kids were good no matter the situation, he wouldn't leave them at school for _hours_ and he wouldn't be using his kids like _creations_ to get rid of a problem." She narrowed her eyes and pointed an accusing finger at him. "If you wanted that, you should have created more girls rather than use us. You should have just left us alone."

John felt an oncoming headache. First Blossom ripped into him and now Buttercup was giving him a piece of her mind. Was Bubbles the only one that could be considered his ally in this trio of girls? Rubbing his temples, he decided it was not worth the argument, merely saying, "How are you doing on those files?"

"Just fine," she snapped. "I can do it without you."

He nodded sadly and turned to leave. "Call me if you need help."

Before she could even give a sarcastic or biting remark, he turned to leave her alone. She opened her mouth to say something when he stopped at the doorway and said over his shoulder, "I was arrested the day I left you at the school. They wouldn't let me go get you girls. Just thought you should know."

And with that, he left Buttercup alone.

 

* * *

 

They met at the Archives again for the first time in awhile. Mrs. Torres had smiled politely at Brick when he arrived and cheerfully told the kids to play nice before she disappeared to do whatever errand she was supposed to do. Brick, of course, rolled his eyes at the older woman, but didn't say anything before he sat down across from where Blossom was waiting for him. When he sat down, she glanced up and said, "Hi."

"Hn," was all he said.

They remained in silence for a little while, Blossom cradling her head in her palm while she watched and waited for Brick to do something. Finally, the red ruff sighed heavily and said, "Okay, we need to look up who Sara Bellum is. So, go find out who she is. You know, birth certificate, records and all that."

She nodded and got up. It only took her several minutes before she came back with papers in her hand. She handed it to him and sat down across from him. As he filed through the papers, he handed her a stack of files he came in with and gave her a pencil. She immediately began straightening out his notes like she did the last time she was with him. They did their work in a comfortable silence before she glanced at him and mumbled shyly, "Some of the servants were taking about an oncoming war. Is it true?"

He gazed up at her from the top of the papers. "Yes."

"Why?"

He sighed and replied airily, "What does it matter? It's the same as every war prior to this one: power. Everyone wants power and they'll fight wars to get it." He handed her the paper in his hand and said, "Go get me those old notes in that secret compartment. I never finished it."

She got up slowly, her face contorted with worry. "What do you mean 'what does it matter'? People – humans – could die in this war for no reason because some _monkeys_ want more land and power! Doesn't that seem wrong to you?"

Brick mumbled something under his breath before he rolled his eyes. "I don't care, Cammy. All those humans fight in wars of their own creation as it is. What difference does it make?" He waved a hand at her. "Besides, they're lowlifes. Inferiors. Why should I care about some damn, idiotic slaves?" He glared at her. "Now go get me those papers before I throw you in the middle of the war myself!"

Her face flushed in anger as she clenched her fists at her side. "I can't believe you would say that!"

"I don't give a damn!" he cried, getting frustrated with her. "My God, you humans are all wretched! None of you know respect anymore. Go get the frickin' papers _now_ before I kick your pathetic ass all over America!"

Blossom's temper flared again, his comment finally taking over her, as she turned to leave to get his papers. Common sense begged her to keep her mouth silent for the sake of the mission and her sisters, but the irrational side of her (which was fairly dominant at the moment) was roaring to be released. With each demeaning comment that her counterpart threw at her fed the monster that was her anger and now it was screeching to be released. She took one more step away from him in an attempt to calm herself down, but found that the beast within was not going to be silenced this time.

Screw the mission.

She whirled on her heel, heading straight back for him, and slammed her fists down on his desk. The red ruff jumped, surprised by the sudden noise. He glanced up and noticed Cammy giving him a steely glare. He frowned and matched her glare. "Excuse me, but did you just slam your fists down on my desk?"

"No, I put them down gracefully," she hissed sarcastically, catching Brick off guard again. "Where do you get off thinking that you can boss people around and they'll give you the respect you want? What makes you think you're deemed worthy of their respect?"

Brick grit his teeth, repressing the urge to hit the girl in front of him. "Simple…I can kill them. They'll listen and respect me if they want to live. I am superior to them."

Blossom rolled her eyes as she crossed her arms over her chest. "They don't _respect_ you. They _fear_ you. That is something completely different or can you not grasp that within that moronic mind of yours?"

The red ruff felt his anger bubbling within him again as he stood up and stared her down. How dare she call him unintelligent! What gave her the right? He was far more intelligent that she could ever _hope_ to be! He had studied all the great works! " _Moronic_? I'm surprised you even  _know_ the word! A lowly girl such as yourself is lucky you even know the meaning of the word _'the_ '!"

"Calling you 'moronic' is _nice_ compared to what I truly think of you," she bit back, her eyes on fire with anger and indignation. This was the first time she was having an intelligent argument with someone and despite the fact that she was angry, she was somewhat thrilled that she finally was letting go. " _Neanderthal_! You are no better than the primates you serve! You think you have freedom and superiority? You have none! You are the same as me! A lowly servant to a monkey!"

Brick clenched his fists at his side to keep himself from lashing out. His voice turned cold and unfeeling as he gave her an icy stare. "Bitch! This coming from the woman who has no parents! At least I have a father figure! What do you have? Nothing!"

"At least I have a father who loves me," Blossom hissed, her eyes going just as cold as his. "Bastard!"

Normally a remark such as this from someone wouldn't have fazed him, but the petite girl in front of him was pushing him over the edge for a reason he couldn't explain. Perhaps it was because she was only one with guts enough to put him in his place. Whatever the reason, though, he still felt edgy. Edgy enough to push against the wall and pound it, leaving a threatening dent. He harshly whispered, "I should kill you."

"Then do it," she whispered again, her fierce gaze challenging him. "Show me the superiority you supposedly have over me. Show me that you are above the so-called emotions you claim you don't have. Show me that you are _capable_ of killing me."

Brick could hardly believe the audacity of the human girl. The very look in her eyes told him that she did not fear his threat. His heart pounded in his chest as he was torn between hurting her and letting her go. He hated that she made what he wanted to do into a challenge. She was trying to call a bluff that may have not been there in the first place. It was a risky gamble and she was winning, he knew, because he didn't think he could kill her. And that, in itself, was killing _him_ inside. Had this been months before, he would have done it without a second thought, but the fire in this girl and fearlessness she exhibited caused him to pause – enough to reconsider.

Then, as if to solidify the win to the dangerous game she was playing, she bit out quietly, barely loud enough for him to hear, a smile evident in her voice. "You can't do it, can you? You can't kill the only person intelligent and fearless enough to speak to you, can you? Tell me, Brick, is it lonely ruling the world with no respect? Because that's what a superiority complex does to a person. You may be at the top, but in reality, you are truly at the bottom."

He growled. "Shut up, you stupid girl." He paused, back away and snapped, "Get out. _Now_."

Blossom began slipping away, her glare softening considerably. She knew she hit a nerve when she said all those horrible things, but she felt they needed to be said. Sure, some of them were uncalled for, but the true essence was there. She knew he was smart enough to catch the clear message she was showing him:

 _Underneath Mojo, you have no one_. _No respect and no friendship_.

It was a harsh truth, but it was something she had to make sure Brick understood. While she knew he was smart (just as smart as she), the two were still very different people simply because of how they were born and who they grew up with. Before she left, she felt some of her anger dissipating as she murmured over her shoulder, "You have a friend in me, Brick."

" _Out_!" He shouted, still angry and shaken up. " _Now_!"

 

* * *

 

 _I am not a baby. Buttercup is just being stupid_ , Bubbles thought as she treaded through the hallways. Part of her was looking for Boomer so she could prove to her sister that she was not the 'baby' of the group, but another part of her was trying to avoid her blonde counterpart as much as possible. At one point, she passed by the man whom Boomer threatened as he and a couple of his men worked on the Computer Mainframe's door. This caused a surge of fear to course through her chest momentarily as she rushed past them.

She wandered around for awhile, avoiding Mrs. Brown and saying hello to Mrs. Torres as she went. She was starting to feel like she should give up when she heard a voice around the corner. It was obviously coming from where the threatened man was. Using her super-hearing, she could distinctively tell it was the man and…Boomer.

She gasped as she pressed herself against the wall, fear gripping her. She clutched her hands to her chest and tried to ease her labored breathing. When she finally calmed down, she heard some say, "Amber?"

The wigged blonde snapped her head to the end of the hall, where she found Boomer standing there, watching her cautiously. Her eyes widened, looking like a deer caught in the headlights. He stepped towards her and she squeaked before she took off down the hall. She could hear Boomer cry "Amber!" before he took off after her. This caused her to become more frightened and increased her speed slightly.

Boomer, from behind, frowned when he noticed that she upped her speed. He picked up his speed a little so he wouldn't loose her and was blown away when she upped her speed again. It was almost unreal. He chased her down the length of the hallway and when they came to the end, she skidded around. Realizing what hall she was going down, he called after her, "Amber, watch out! The floor was just mopped!"

He ran faster so he could catch her in case she fell, but she was shocked by something. She definitely did trip on the slippery floor, but instead of falling on her bottom or knees like he expected her to, she did something completely different. It almost felt like slow motion. He stopped running as he watched she fell forward, brought her hand to touch the floor and pushed her body to do an one-handed flip. She landed gracefully on her feet, like she had been trained to do flips like that, before she took off.

He stood there, dumbfounded.

_That was not normal._

 

* * *

 

Blossom had left Brick alone for a couple of hours before she returned to the Archives. She didn't find him there when she went down and decided to look for him elsewhere. While she knew it was probably better to just leave him alone, she still decided to search for him. She looked in all the usual spots, not finding him, but running into his brothers when she peeked into their lounge room.

Boomer, she noticed, was sitting down on the couch, staring off into space, looking both confused and troubled while Butch was busy punching the living daylights out of an old punching bag, his face twisted in anger and extreme frustration. She pursed her lips as she took a step back when she realized Brick wasn't with his brothers. She was about to leave when she noticed Bubbles passing by. Glancing at the boys briefly, she turned back to her sister and hissed, "Psst! Amber!"

The disguised blonde stopped walking when she heard her codename and noticed Blossom standing in front of the lounge door. Curious, she trotted over to her and whispered, "Yeah?"

"Have you talked to Boomer yet?"

Bubbles became very quiet at the question. A flash of the flip she did earlier in the hallway had crossed her mind and knew, if she told her sister what she did in front of Boomer, Blossom would be very angry. Not trusting her voice, she merely shook her head, earning an irked look by her leader. "Amber, I can't believe you."

Gripping her sister's wrist, she opened the door and pushed Bubbles in before the blue-clad girl could protest. Both boys inside the room stared at the two girls as they entered. Boomer watched the dark-haired girl as she went rigid at the sight of him. Cammy, who was behind her, popped her head out and said cheerfully, "Hi, Boomer, Amber wanted to talk to you!"

He heard Cammy hiss to Amber " _Go_!" right after that as he motioned for his human friend to come to him. She rigidly walked over to him while Cammy turned to Butch and asked, "Do you know where Brick is?"

Butch grunted and shrugged. "His room." She nodded and turned, but not before the green ruff called, "Do you know where Brittany is?"

Cammy stopped, glimpsed at him and shook her head. His shoulders slumped as she left him alone with the very quiet Boomer and Amber. He stared at the punching bag in front him, his arms crossed over his broad chest. He should have figured that Brittany would avoid him. She probably didn't even want to be around him after he treated her badly. Sure, he wasn't too keen on the fact that she told him off in front of everyone, but both Brick and Boomer told him he had it coming. And maybe all three of them were right.

Shaking his head, he exited the room, his head pounding with thoughts of his argument between himself and Brittany. Meanwhile, Amber was frozen in place as she stared at her counterpart. Boomer, on the other hand, didn't move as flashbacks of what he saw earlier kept playing through his mind. Trying to make an excuse for her and shaking off the disturbing thoughts, he murmured, "How come you've been avoiding me?"

Part of Bubbles felt shocked he would ask such a thing. Honestly, who wouldn't avoid Boomer (or his brothers) when they saw the terrifying personalities behind the pleasantries. However, her voice didn't seemed to really want to work because she could only murmur, "Scared."

Boomer blinked. "Scared? You were scared? Of who?"

The teenage girl felt like she wanted to both slap him and roll her eyes at his stupid question. Don't get her wrong, she was a nice girl, but it didn't take a genius to realize she was scared of him – especially since she had been avoiding him like the plague. "You."

Silence passed between the two as that familiar twinge of guilt tugged at Boomer's heart. She had seen him threatened the worker, Carl. He glanced down at his lap. "Oh."

They remained in awkward position as they shifted uncomfortably. He could easily sense that Amber didn't want to be anywhere around him. After a moment, she whispered, "Can I leave?"

He nodded and without a second's hesitation, she took off. He stayed in his position on the couch. The guilt was still heavy in his chest and he could help but feel a little resentful towards Amber. Had this been a year ago, he wouldn't have felt bad about threatening Carl, but now all he could think about was her terrified face when he realized she was watching.

He buried his face in his hands. His guilt coupled with her fear made him think only one thing: was he on the right side? Was what Mojo doing _right_? Was he and his brothers wrong?

 

* * *

 

"What are you doing here?"

Blossom leaned against the doorframe as she stared at Brick's back. He was currently leaning against the wall and staring out the large window of his room. His posture screamed that he was still hostile, but she completely ignored it. "I'm your assistant, aren't I?"

He tensed. "I'm seriously reconsidering that."

She rose an eyebrow. "Why?"

Stillness enveloped the room when Brick didn't give an immediate answer. She could faintly hear the ticking hands of his clock as well as the quiet hum of his computer. The sounds were actually quite soothing and made her somewhat drowsy. Finally, he answered, "Because if we keep up like this, I'm going to end up killing you by the end of the week."

The pink-eyed girl suppressed a smirk as she playfully said, "Was that hesitation I sensed?"

"Shut up."

The two didn't say anything as she rubbed her arm and continued to stare at him. The redheaded boy didn't move from his tensed position as she pushed her body off the doorframe and walked towards him. He was bothered, she could tell, otherwise he would be looking at her right now. Instead, however, he was facing away from her, making her unable to see the expression on his face. Maybe her message really had gotten to him.

She paused right before she reached him, a little unsure of herself. She noticed his body became slightly more rigid as soon as she was close enough to him. She was pushing it, she knew, because he hardly let anybody really get near him, but she felt she had to be this close.

Slowly, she lifted her hands up and gripped the back of his shirt. She tensed, waiting for him to tug himself away from her and explode, but he didn't even flinch or pull away. The atmosphere felt heavy as they stayed like that for a brief moment. When Blossom felt sure that he wasn't going to react harshly, she stepped closer and enclosed her arms around him.

His body stiffened at the hug, but didn't move away. He glanced down at her hands that were holding each other and resting on his stomach. He didn't even realize he was holding his breath until she told him, quietly whispering the words so she would break the somber mood, "You can breathe."

He released a shaky breath, slightly surprised at himself for listening to her command without putting up a fight like he normally would. The two teenagers stayed like this, her hugging him from behind while he stared out the window. The only thing he could hear was her gently telling him, "You have a friend in me, Brick."

And a small part of him believed that maybe he _did_ have a friend in her.


	18. Deliberation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "A Chess game is a dialogue, a conversation between a player and his opponent. Each move by the opponent may contain threats or be a blunder, but a player cannot defend against threats or take advantage of blunders if he does not first ask himself: What is my opponent planning after each move?"
> 
> \- Bruce A. Moon

"What are you up to?"

Mojo rose an eyebrow as he glanced up from his paperwork to his red-clad son. The teenage boy's face hardened upon eye contact, showing he was in no mood for any games. The ape, however, ignored the silent warnings that the boy was sending and merely sighed. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Brick. I'm up to nothing."

"Lies."

Mojo shrugged. "Believe what you want."

"Oh, I believe you're up to something," responded the red ruff, his voice laced with hostility. He bent down a little so he was eye to eye with his creator. "What that something is, I don't know. I'm not blind, you know. You're spending numerous of hours in your lab, you're jittery and even more paranoid than usual."

The Monkey King watched Brick silently, his face blank. Quietly, he shuffled the papers on his desk into a neat pile and then folded his hands on top of them. His expression, throughout the entire thing remained neutral, sending warning signs to the redhead. "How do you know that my so-called plans don't benefit you?"

Brick rolled his eyes, trying to suppress the surmounting frustration bubbling within him. He was in no mood for his creator's mind games. His patience was quickly wearing thin. "It strikes me as odd that you haven't told me – _us_ – what you're doing…especially if it's supposed to benefit my brothers and I." He narrowed his eyes. "It's too damn suspicious, Mojo, and I don't like it. Can you understand why I don't trust you?"

The chemically powered ape placed a hand on his chest and dramatically replied, "Whatever have I done, Brick, to make you doubt me in such a way?"

"Don't mock me," the red ruff growled, hostility becoming more the evident in his voice.

All dramatic pretenses were dropped as the Monkey King's face warped into a frown. This boy had always been too smart for his own good. That part of Brick's personality had never been a problem up until now. Frowning severely back at his son, he snapped, "Need I remind you, my boy, that I don't need to tell you every little detail about my plans. After all, I did dominate the world without your help." His glare deepened. "You don't have a _right_ to know, _my son_. Remember why you were created. You are here for one reason only and I can easily replace you and your brothers."

Brick didn't say anything, hoping to control his temper. He didn't want to compromise his place in Mojo's standing. Not for or Mojo's sake, but for his brothers' sake. Mojo, on the other hand, frowned at the lack of response. He expected the boy to snarl a threat, but received nothing in response. Honestly, all he asked for was a little bit of melodramatics. Was that so much to ask for? Shaking his head, the king of the Earth, walked around his desk to come beside one of his creations. He patted the teenager's shoulder condescendingly. "You just remember to behave, my son, and you won't find yourself in any trouble."

With that said, Mojo turned away and moved back to sit at his desk. The redheaded teenager clenched his fists at his side. He was about to whirl around and head back for his room, when the primate called over his shoulder, "By the way, I hope you and your brothers aren't getting too close to those human girls."

The boy paused in mid-step and glanced wearily over his shoulder. _Was he…_ "Are you threatening them?"

Mojo gave a chilling grin. "I'm merely saying that they should be careful. They _are_ only human and are so easily breakable compared to you and I." He mockingly placed a finger on his lips. "I hope that's not concern on your face, Brick. It would be terrible for you if something should happen to Miss Cameron Anderson, wouldn't it?"

Brick's stature went rigid and hostile, ready to spring into action if he needed to, but tried to compose himself so he wouldn't give himself away. A shadow cast over his face as he glared, his red eyes gleaming brightly at his intensity. "You leave her alone."

The simian was quiet, his eyes harshly scanning over the leader of the Rowdyruff Boys. The tension was so thick in the room that electricity sparks could have gone off between them. The rift between the two very different and intelligent leaders was widening with each threat they were tossing to each other. He sighed softly as he sat back down. "You're getting soft, Brick…weak."

" _I AM NOT WEAK_!"

Mojo held back a triumphant smirk as that last remark became the straw that broke the camel's back. Brick was positively fuming. His clenched fists were now accompanied by the fire that he so masterfully controlled and his eyes were shining even brighter than were before. The ground behind them was quaking at the great show of power from the redhead. Screams from the servants all around them could be heard in the distance as Brick refused to calm down. Mojo could only grin. This was what he wanted. "Your recent behavior suggests otherwise."

The red ruff skulked forward, his jaw already tiring from the strength he was clenching it. Anymore anger from the ruff and steam could've been seen from the top of his head. He slammed his fists down on the desk, breaking it underneath his power. "I am _not_ weak! I am the furthest thing from weak! You sit here and criticize me when _you're_ the one who needs my brothers and _I_ to do your dirty work! You're the weak one here, Mojo! Place the blame on the right person! _I AM NOT WEAK_!"

Here was Mojo's chance to start breaking the boy off from his new security blanket. "Very well then, my son, I will place the blame on the right person: Miss Anderson. She has softened you, can't you see? _She_ is the reason people will not fear you. _She_ is the reason you cannot be who you once were." He slammed his fist down on the remains on his torn apart desk. "You must purge yourself of all weaknesses, Brick. _Get rid of her_!" He paused. "Or…you could let me do it. It would be easy. All I would have to do is – "

Brick ripped the desk away from Mojo and threw it across the room, crashing it through the walls behind them. He stalked forward, grabbed his creator by the collar and brought him up to his face. He hissed, "Don't you _dare_ touch her. I will kill you if you do."

"You can if you want to," Mojo responded lightly before his voice dropped down into a deep threat. "But only if you want to lose your powers."

The two froze in time as Mojo's pink eyes shot down into a button concealed underneath his white gloves. Brick growled out in frustration when he remembered the Antidote X chips flowing through his veins. He dropped his father on the floor unceremoniously as he turned away. Just as he reached the door, he called over his shoulder, "I don't know how, but I will figure out a way to rip you limb from limb if you so much as _think_ the wrong thing about Cammy. She is my assistant and therefore underneath my protection."

With that said, he walked out of the room, his temper still flaring dangerously. Mojo, however, sat back down on his seat, shortly lamented the destruction of his desk before he smiled pleasantly. Even if he hadn't gotten rid of Cammy just yet, he still planted the seeds of doubt. Things were going according to plan.

 

* * *

 

Blossom was startled when the door to Brick's room was all but ripped off its hinges. There was a large dent in the center of the door where her counterpart obviously used too much force to bang it open. She watched as he stomped into the room, fuming and muttering profanities underneath his breath. She had a sarcastic remark on the tip of her tongue, but thought better of it when she noticed the dark expression on his face.

Crackles of electricity sparked around him as he glared at her and hissed, "Get out."

She gazed at him briefly, shocked at his great display of his temper, but nodded mutely before she gathered up the papers she had been working on and exited the room. It would do neither of them any good if she provoked him further, that much she knew. It was wise, she decided, if she let him to blow off his steam all alone.

Brick, as soon as she left, began throwing things around, unable to contain himself any longer. While he had always prided himself in being in control of his temper, this time he allowed his temper to control him. He was enraged and really had no outlet this time. He was not stupid enough to let out his anger in the presence of Cammy because he had no idea what he would do in his blind rage, but that did not mean he couldn't rip his room apart (though he would probably regret it later).

" _Damn that monkey_!" he screamed, another tremor shaking the ground beneath him. His super-hearing could pick up the terrified squeals of the humans, but he could have cared less about that. " _I should rip him to shreds_!"

He knew he was being unreasonable. He knew that wouldn't be able to get close enough to Mojo to carry out his threats – not with the Antidote X chips in him – but it made him feel better. He continued to abuse his room for awhile before he sat down on his bed and ripped his hat off. He ran a shaky hand through his red hair and closed his eyes, taking several slow, deep breaths to try to calm him down. Needless to say, it wasn't working.

This wasn't like him. He was not the type to get worked up over a human or a girl. That was Boomer and Butch's department. They would be the ones to scream and stomp and kick and shout out their hearts when they were angry, but not Brick. He was the type of person to mull about it, make a few promising threats before he would leave to mull about it some more. And again, he noted incredulously, over a foolish, unimportant girl!

 _I can't believe I threatened Mojo over a girl_ , he thought bitterly. He placed a hand on his chest, furrowed his eyebrows and frowned. _What's happening to me?_

 

* * *

 

Blossom pressed her hand to the wall as she tried to steady herself from the small earthquake. She had gotten no farther than a couple of hallways away from Brick's room when her legs wobbled unsteadily from the temblor. Without a doubt she knew that that was Brick. His temper was something to behold when something (or someone, in this case) got him going. Suddenly, Blossom wondered if she was as bad as him when she became angry.

"This is your fault, you stupid girl."

The disguised redhead frowned at the new, snobbish, girlish voice. She knew that voice. She glanced over her shoulder to find Princess Morebucks standing behind her, a scowl etched on her sharp features. Blossom suppressed the urge to roll her eyes and tell her off as she fully turned her body towards the other girl. Raising an eyebrow, she innocently said, "Pardon me?"

Princess snorted. "You heard me. Don't make me repeat myself."

"Why am I to blame for Brick's temper?" the redhead questioned, narrowing her eyes.

The Morebucks heiress stared at the girl in front of her, sweeping her analyzing eyes over her. Rolling her eyes and shaking her head, she said, "I have no idea why Brick thinks you're smart if you can't put two and two together." She paused briefly as she sauntered over to Blossom. "Brick has been loosing his edge because of you. He is loosing his comfortable place at Mojo's side because of you. _You're_ the reason everything has gone topsy-turvy in his world."

Blossom's face chilled considerably, dropping her innocent act and ceasing to be Cammy in front of this girl. In a steely tone, she said, "I still don't see – " she spat out the name, " _Princess_ , how this is my fault. From what I've seen, this was a long time coming. You can't blame me for simply being an assistant to him. This is _Mojo's_ fault."

The yellow-clad girl looked somewhat shocked at the chilliness in the redhead's voice, being momentarily reminded of Brick when he got agitated. She quickly recovered and got close to Blossom so the two were staring at each other in the face. She placed one hand on her hip and shoved a finger in Blossom's chest. "This wouldn't be happening if Brick came to me. Let's one thing straight, servant girl, I'm rich, you're not. I'm free, you're not. I'm perfect for Brick, you're not."

"Think rather highly of yourself, don't you?" Cammy scowled. "Especially since Brick doesn't really pay an iota of attention to you."

Princess stepped back, looking like someone just slapped her. She shrieked out in frustration. " _Shut up_! I'm warning you, stupid girl, you stay away from _my_ Brick or I will make you regret it! He is _mine_ and now one else's! You've had your fun, but no more! The only Cinderella here _will be me_!"

"You don't scare me," Blossom responded lowly, her expression suddenly becoming devoid of emotion. It was rather laughable to be terrified of someone like Princess. What could the girl do to her? A punch from the girl wouldn't do any harm to Blossom whatsoever. That would be like a Q-tip being jabbed into her arm. There would be no damage.

Princess's response was only thus:

"You should be."

 

* * *

 

For the next couple of days, Brick had been so tense that he practically ripped anyone's head off who so much as looked at him or Cammy the wrong way. Servants – even Mrs. Torres – were walking on eggshells every time they came around him. Both of his brothers watched their mouths around him, proclaiming that they hadn't seen him this angry in a very long time (so long, in fact, that they doubt he ever got this angry before).

At one point, Mojo had walked past the two redheads one day and glanced curiously at Cammy, who was busy working on something for the red ruff. While she didn't appear to notice the primate, Brick, however, did and immediately blocked Mojo's view of the girl with his body. He sent a menacing glare in his creator's direction while simian's lips twitched, unsure if he wanted to frown or smirk at the reaction his got from his 'oldest' son.

Brick's new attitude of being overprotective of Cammy was something that Blossom wasn't sure she was ready to welcome. Before whatever argument erupted between Mojo and the red ruff, she was pleased to wander wherever she wanted without someone glancing or questioning (with the exception of Mrs. Brown, who watched everyone like a hawk) her. However, lately, she had to be accompanied by either Brick or one of his brothers whenever she went somewhere. It was starting to get maddening for the girl.

So, anyone could imagine that when she was ready to yank her hair out of her head, she had pressed for Buttercup to swallow her pride to begin speaking with Butch again and for Bubbles to get over her little dilemma with Boomer. Blossom needed answers about Mojo and Brick and she needed them before she was driven to the brink of her sanity. These answers could only come from Butch or Boomer because Brick's lips were sealed. He simply refused to bring up the conversation that upset him.

Buttercup was enraged when she heard that she had to apologize to Butch so the two could be on speaking terms again, but her anger was dwarfed by Blossom's destructive temper when the two began to argue about it. Bubbles, from the sidelines, had become terrified by show of power from her leader and immediately declared (no arguments given) that she would make up with Boomer. This seemed to appease the leader of the girls quickly.

On the day that Bubbles had dispatched herself to find her counterpart, Blossom went with her since Brick expected her to show up. As the two sisters parted, Bubbles promised that she would try and find out whatever information that she could about Mojo and Brick. Blossom felt extremely grateful and as she made her way down to the Archives, her steps were lighter at the prospect of getting some answers.

Brick took no notice that Blossom seemed to be in a better mood as they were working on trying to figure out what Mojo was up to as well as trying to see who would've helped the girls escape from the clutches of their adversaries. Needless to say, they hadn't managed to find out any information on either topic (the latter mostly being Blossom's fault for giving false information to her counterpart). While she worked, she noticed that Brick seemed to be deep in thought, his troubles evident on his face.

"What's wrong?" she finally asked when she started feeling the tension in the room escalate from his bad mood. She placed the papers that she was working on off to the side and focused her attention on the boy sitting across from her.

He remained quiet for a short while before he exhaled and murmured, "It's something that Mojo said to me a couple of days ago during our discussion."

She rose an eyebrow. "Want to talk about it?" He sent her a sharp look, which she let roll off her back. "I'm only asking because it looks like you could use someone to talk to. I'm all ears. It's not like I'm going to go around spreading your secrets. I would be a bad confidant if I did, not to mention a very bad friend."

He examined her, deciding whether or not he should tell her what was bothering him before he glanced away, his eyebrows knotting up in frustration. "When Mojo and I were speaking to each other, I had asked him what he had been up to lately in his lab. I was both suspicious and curious, you understand." She nodded and he continued, his tone tightening in irritation. "He said that I didn't have the right to know what he was doing. He said I was created for one purpose and that he could easily replace me if I misbehaved."

Blossom's heart really went out to him because, to a certain level, she could relate to him. She honestly felt that Professor Utonium wouldn't be as harsh as Mojo, but she had to admit that she wondered why she and her sisters had been created in the first place. Not to mention, she knew that if she and her sisters didn't comply to what John wanted, he could easily make new girls now that he knew how. So, she understood why such comments were bothering the teenage boy. No matter how confidant a person might be, the realization that somebody didn't care for you and could easily replace you with someone else was a harsh blow to deal with. After all, it would bother her. Even if Brick was stoic and a boy, that didn't mean he was completely immune to his feelings.

On the other hand, she also felt he was being hypocritical. He was complaining about Mojo taking away his rights, when Brick took away millions of people's rights to knowledge and freedom by helping Mojo and the regional lords imprison their human captives. Wasn't it a bit unfair he was complaining about something like that when he was no better than Mojo?

"Funny," she remarked quietly and slowly as she eyed Brick, waiting for his reaction, "how you're complaining about your rights being taken away."

He glanced at her, eyeing her suspiciously because he suspected what was coming next. He braced himself for the her blow as he said, "How is that funny?"

She shrugged nonchalantly. "Because you're doing to the humans what Mojo's doing to you."

"That's different," he retorted tartly.

She rose an eyebrow and stared at him pointblank. "How?"

He fell silent as he thought over what they both said. He had to admit he was impressed with himself at the fact that he hadn't blown up on her for defending her beliefs. Usually by now they were trading insults with each other and he was threatening to kill her. No such thing was happening. It was also attributed to the fact that he didn't want to send Cammy away and into Mojo's waiting hands.

"Brick?"

He glanced down at the tabletop, unable to find an appropriate response to her claim. In truth, what was the difference between himself and Mojo? Was he not taking away the humans' rights like Mojo was taking away his? Was he acting better than Mojo? The answer was most definitely no, but Brick wasn't going to admit that out loud. "It just is."

She snorted rather unladylike. "'It just is'? What kind of response is that?"

Brick took his cap off and ran a hand through his hair. The frustration and anger from the past several days suddenly disappeared, leaving an emotional and physical exhaustion in its wake. His whole body unexpectedly became heavy with tiredness. "Not now, Cammy, please. No arguments today, all right? I just do not have the energy to fight with you today."

She sighed heavily, disappointment overcoming her. She placed her face into her palms. "'Not now', you say. It's _always_ 'not now', but when is it going to be 'now', Brick? When are you going to sit down and talk about this? When are you going to own up to the fact that what Mojo has you doing is _wrong_? When are you going to realize that all of what you have done is wrong? Tell me, Brick, when is okay for us to talk?"

He shifted some of the papers. "I don't know, okay?"

This small admission had sent waves of astonishment through Blossom. It made her quiet, knowing that Brick was not open to hearing the truth today. She watched him, carefully taking in everything that she could. He really was handsome, she had observed. She had been so busy with her mission that she really hadn't taken in the things around her – him, in particular. His red hair was messy and looked like he didn't do anything to it other than shove it underneath his hat. His crimson eyes were so intense and dark that any girl really could be caught underneath its gaze like a fly to a spider's web. He was so very tall and broad. He wasn't built like Butch was, but you would see and feel the strength and confidence exuding from him – even in his tired state. He really was an attractive boy and Blossom could hardly believe she really hadn't noticed before.

Suddenly, she felt a little self-conscious about how she looked.

She also felt very bad for him. He had no emotional support whatsoever. Partially it was his fault because he seldom let anyone in, but she also blamed Mojo. The primate didn't care for his boys like a parent should and often let them do whatever they wanted provided that they didn't bother him. Boomer and Butch were so wrapped up in themselves, that they didn't take the time to truly be brothers. Brick, also, shut the world out because he was so focused on his job. None of these flaws had been brought to light to these boys until their disguised counterparts pointed it out.

 _Maybe Princess was right in some small way_ , She thought as she glanced down at the paperwork. _I did turn his world upside down. I shook him out of his comfort zone and now his world is crumbling around him. Sadly, he has no idea how to respond to this._

Guilt enveloped her. She felt so bad about what she was doing to him and what she was planning on doing to him. She genuinely cared about him, despite the fact he was rude, and didn't really want to hurt the boy in any way. She knew she had a mission to do, but it almost broke her heart that she would have to hurt him. He was already in pain as it was and now she had to add fuel to the fire.

She bit her bottom lip, trying to stop herself from saying something wrong or crying for him. She wasn't the type to cry in front of someone she viewed as an equal and a friend, but she also knew that he wouldn't accept the pity. She knew him well enough to know it would only anger him further if he knew that she felt any form of sympathy.

"Stop that."

She glanced up as he leaned forward and pulled her bottom lip out from her teeth. She stared at him, heat rushing to her face as he kept his intense gaze on her and his fingers lingered on his lips longer than necessary. When she caught sight of a faint blush on his cheeks, he yanked himself from her and turned away, not doubt chiding himself for such a blatant display of emotion. This caused a small smile to form on her lips.

They were two different people, born to complete each other's circle. They were yin and yang, light and dark, and they were so different and yet so alike. She was more open to her emotions while he hid them because he was so clumsy and clueless about certain feelings. They argued about every little thing and acted out on their tempers in the heat of the moment. Yet, they formed a grudging respect for each other that was somehow developing into a twisted friendship.

 _I hope,_ she lamented, _I'm not getting too attached to him._

She remained quiet in the stillness of the room for a couple of minutes before she closed her eyes and reached out to touch his hand that was resting on top of the table. Upon the contact, he stiffened, but didn't move, which Blossom felt was a major advancement on his part. Her eyes downcast, she mumbled, "I know you're upset about what Mojo said to you and I'm sure you're not telling me everything that was exchanged between the two of you, but I want to let you know I'm here."

"Hn."

She felt disappointment settle into her when she didn't get much of a response. She was about to pull away from him when his hand grabbed hers and squeezed gently in response. She glanced at her lap, allowing her dyed hair to cover her face to hide the grin that spread across her petite, pretty features. He knew that she was always open and ready for him to speak.

That was all she needed.

 

* * *

 

Bubbles sat quietly in the boys' personal lounge. Hardly anybody bothered to come in there (especially lately because of Brick's temper) and it was a perfect place for the disguised blonde to sit and think about what she was going to say to her counterpart. So many things were happening at once that had left Bubbles in a emotional mess and pulled in different directions. She was so confused that, at times, she didn't know which way to turn and which problem to address first.

By no means was Bubbles a weakling. She could fight just as well as either of her sisters and she could be just as tough as them. She could take care of herself in a brawl and easily outrun her opponents because she was the fastest one of the trio of girls. The difference between herself and her sisters was that she wore her heart on her sleeve. Unfortunately, that made her more vulnerable than the steel wall that was Buttercup and (sporadically) the ice block that was Blossom.

Her emotional handicap this time around was Boomer.

 _I have a crush on him_ , she thought glumly. _Blossom will not be happy_.

She felt so silly having a crush on someone she barely knew, but it made sense to her because Boomer was really the only boy she had interacted with since kindergarten. It would be logical for the first boy to be attentive to her would cause her to feel that familiar butterfly sensation whenever he was around. He was nice to her and gave her gifts (albeit, an octopus doll and a blue flower weren't _big_ gifts, but they sweet gestures nonetheless), something no boy had ever been to her.

But, alas, she hardly knew anything about him. It saddened her to discover this. It had been a rude awakening that Boomer was not all as he seemed when she watched him threaten a man. There was a darker nature to her counterpart that she was not aware of and she abruptly found herself in the middle of a game in which she no longer knew the rules to. And it terrified her to no end.

She buried her face in her hands, grieving at her predicament that she was stuck in. While she was loyal to her sisters, she was beginning to feel awful for her feelings towards Boomer. She felt tears prickle at the corners of her eyes and she sniffled.

"Amber?"

Bubbles jerked her head out of her hands and glanced behind her, where she found Boomer glancing down at her, confusion and concern upon his face. She swallowed what guilty feelings she had and stood up, the small jitters of fear fluttering through her. She gave a weak smile. "Er…h-hi, Boomer."

He leaned a little forward and stared at her face. "Were you crying right now?"

She shook her head vigorously. "No! No, I wasn't crying!"

He frowned. "Huh. I could have sworn you were."

She shook her head again as they became quiet, awkwardly shifting their weight and not looking at each other anymore. Various thoughts were floating through their heads, unsure of what to say. Boomer finally sighed heavily and looked at the girl out of his peripherals. "Look, Amber, about what you saw…" He cleared his throats. "…I'm, er…" He sighed heavily and slumped his shoulders. "Look, what you saw that…that wasn't me."

She squeezed her eyes shut and hugged herself. "But how can I be sure, Boomer? How do I know that you're not just lying to me right now to cover for yourself?" She snapped her eyes open, frowned and glared at him. "How many more people have you threatened and scared?" She pointed an accusing finger at him and hissed, "How many more people have you _hurt_? Did you not only hurt them, but their families as well like you threaten to do to that poor man's family?"

He started, "I – "

"No," she interrupted, lifting a hand. "I'm sorry, Boomer, but I can't condone that."

Boomer went speechless as he listened to her words. He placed his hands in his pockets as her words echoed in his head. He was being pulled in two different directions and both were painful routes. On the one hand, he knew he should be loyal to his brothers. If they heard what Amber said to him, they would be furious. Boomer was not allowed to question what was going on. He was supposed to listen to whatever Brick, Butch and Mojo told him and execute their plans. Questioning was not allowed.

On the other hand, he knew that Amber was also right. How many people's lives did he ruin? He had always been told that the people's lives were better because he, his brothers and creator were providing order to their scatter lives. He had been taught that those three girls had ruined everyone's lives and they – the Royal family – had corrected those wrongs. But, he couldn't help but feel that somehow they weren't doing right.

"Those people live in fear," Bubbles continued, not paying attention to the troubled expression on his face. "They don't respect any of you! They're _scared_ of you! Tell me, did you separate families on top of that? How many people has Mojo and his followers killed in their struggle to obtain power? Those poor people have feelings! They don't like being pushed around! Haven't all those rebellions you put a stop to told you anything! _They're not happy_!"

His fists clenched. He really wanted to defend himself and his brothers against this tiny girl before him, but he knew he couldn't. How could he when she was making sense? It wasn't like she was spouting off nonsense. She had a valid argument. Really, he thought, how was he so blind to not notice that these people were not happy? _Why_ did his brothers allow it to happen?

"You refused to see it because of your own _comfort_!" her voice was raising now out of her distraught emotion. "Boomer, you're _wrong_!"

"No, I'm not!" He growled out of reaction.

Her glare deepened as she planted her stance firmly, her arms akimbo. "Really? You're not? Then prove it! Give me proof that what you're doing is right. Show me the happiness of others around you besides your own. There are millions of people outside these walls that are unhappy – myself included!"

The blonde boy was once again rendered speechless. Brick had always told him to not enter an argument unless he had solid proof. And this time he had no solid evidence to win an argument against the teenager girl. She had more proof to win because she was human and she had seen and heard what the other humans were feeling. She knew that humans' lives were being ripped, torn and ruined by the hands of Mojo, the Rowdyruff Boys and the regional lords.

He walked around the couch that Bubbles had been sitting on and collapsed. He exhaled and ran his hands over his face. Weakly, he mumbled, "I can't. I can't prove it to you."

Bubbles stopped her rant when she noticed the defeated look in Boomer's posture. Her shoulders slumped when she saw him and felt bad for him. While her world was being tossed around, his was also, too. She bent down in front of him and placed a hand on his shoulder. This caused him to gaze at her as she gently whispered, "It's okay, Boomer. So long as you realize that what you're doing is wrong. Admitting that is the biggest and hardest step for anyone." She smiled. "I'm sorry I made you feel bad."

He stared at her in disbelief momentarily before he chuckled and gathered Bubbles in his arms. He hugged her tightly as he said into her hair, "Amber, why are you apologizing? You haven't done anything wrong! If anyone is at fault here, it's me." He tightened his hold on her. " _I'm_ sorry for making you unhappy." He pulled away and stared at her intently. "I'm also sorry for hurting everyone, but…what can I do? I mean, even if I do realize that this is wrong, Brick and Butch aren't going to help me. There's nothing that I can do."

"Maybe so," she replied as she moved some of his hair out of his bright blue eyes. "But I believe everything will be set right."

He pulled back. "How do you know?"

A smile spread across her face and Boomer got the distinct feeling that she knew something that he didn't. She giggled lightly. "I just do." He nodded numbly as she stood up. "I should get going before I get into trouble. I'll see you around, okay?" Again, he nodded as she began moving away. However, before she reached the exit, she glanced over her shoulder, she asked, "Hey, what's been up with your brother lately? He's been really moody."

Boomer blinked. "Who? Brick? He and Mojo haven't been getting along. I don't know what exactly started their animosity, but I think it has something to do with your friend, Cameron. From what I managed to pry from my brother, Mojo said something about Cammy that didn't sit well with Brick." He shrugged. "I think there's more to it, but I don't know. Just stay out of his way while you can, though, Amber. Both of them, now that I think about it."

She nodded. "Okay. I will. See you, Boomer."

He waved her off as she disappeared around the corner. As soon as he was sure he was alone, he settled back into his seat and thought over everything that just happened to him. Everything he knew was being called into question and he had a suspicion that he wasn't the only one that was being to question who he was and if he was right. Judging by Butch's lost look and Brick's tormented expression, they were suffering from self-doubt, too. Somehow, he knew that Brittany and Cammy were influences.

Another thing that was bothering him was what he saw Amber do. She hadn't brought up the fact that she managed to flip into a graceful position when she slipped. While that certainly wasn't something that most people would worry about, but, for some reason, it was bothering Boomer. He had debated about telling Brick for some time now, but he had kept silent, hoping that Amber would have an explanation for it. But now…

She knew something that he didn't. That knowing smile when she said that everything would be righted had sent red alarms up in his head. She didn't give him anything to be worried about, in reality, but his intuition was telling him that something was brewing. He had a feeling that Amber was in the middle of it as was Cammy and Brittany. How much did those girls know? More importantly, did Brick have a notion that something was up?

 _Strange reflexes, knowing smiles_ , he pondered as he stroked his chin, _Something is up._

 

* * *

 

It was different.

"You're so strong."

"And hot."

"And _so_ talented."

He had heard these words numerous of times and each time, it had made his ego inflate tenfold, but it was different now. His ego was not growing and he wasn't even enjoying their words. In fact, instead of feeling flattered that these girls were paying attention to him, he was getting more irritated by the second. He could feel his annoyance bubbling every time they touched him and felt the urge to throw these girls across the room. These words that they were speaking to him had no meaning. They were empty and all he could think about was that these girls did not mean it. And he knew the reason why this happened to him.

Damn her _._

 _She_ was the reason for him not being affected by their words. She was the reason for him not being affected by these girls and their fawning. She had messed him up all because she called him a 'womanizer'. Seriously, what business was it of hers if he decided he liked women? Most people considered that normal for a teenage boy to chase after anything in a skirt! Why couldn't she just accept that and be happy he was even giving an ounce of attention!

He ripped himself from the girls' grasps and stalked away from them. He glanced around the bar and noticed that everybody was going about their business like they usually did. None of them were really paying any mind to him and, he noted, Brittany was nowhere in sight. He had come here every day in hopes of finding the girl, but she hadn't shown up. It was either she was avoiding him or she was too busy to catch a break and come here. Butch had an inkling that it was the former.

He grumbled as he left the bar and took off towards the palace. When he arrived and burst into the building, the servants scattered away from him as he stomped his way towards his room. Upon arriving, he practically ripped the door from its hinges and then paused, shocked, when he saw who occupied his room. There, sitting cross-legged on his bed, was Brittany, looking extremely bored.

The dark-haired boy had no idea how long he stared at her, but it must have been awhile because she rolled her eyes at the look on his face. This small movement caused him to snap back into reality. "What the hell are you doing here!"

She snorted. "Like, what does it look like? I'm waiting for _you_!"

He felt a sexual innuendo float into his mind, but he held back the retort because of the hostile glint in her eyes. So, he merely crossed his arms over his chest. "What do you want? Here to embarrass me some more? You gonna call me more names on top of that, too? I can get you surround sound if you want."

"Chill out," Buttercup drawled out, glancing down at her fingernails, becoming the epitome of boredom. "Like, I came to apologize for embarrassing you in front of everyone." Her green eyes flickered up to his face and frowned when she saw a smug smirk spread across his lips. "However, I am not, like, apologizing for what I said."

He shrugged. "Whatever. At least you realize you were wrong."

She grit her teeth. "You're such a jackass, Butch."

He rolled his eyes as he sat down next to her. "Yeah, yeah, love you too, Britt."

Buttercup knew that is some twisted, roundabout way, her counterpart was apologizing. She had given hell to Blossom when her sister said that she demanded that she say she was sorry. Even now, when she told Butch she was sorry, Buttercup had to swallow a large amount of her pride to spit the words out. So, she could understand where he was coming from. His words were the closest thing she was going to get to an apology at the moment.

"So…"

She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. She frowned when she saw the mischievous look in his eye and placed a hand on his chest, knowing almost instantaneously what he wanted to do with her. "Uh-uh, dude, like no way. I am not giving you that."

He threw a wink. "Not yet, at least."

She grimaced. "Gag me."

Butch cackled and then lightly ran a finger up her spine. He grinned widely when her body shook from the shivers the feather light touch provoked. Sitting up, he whispered in her ear, "Ah, come on, you know you want it." He lowered his voice. "You know you want me bad."

"I repeat: _gag me_ ," She muttered as she shoved his face away from her, trying to hide the flushed and slightly panicked look on her face.

He laughed again as he stood up. "You should have seen your face! It was priceless! You looked like a deer caught in the headlights! Oh my God, girl, I would pay to see that look again." He laughed for some time until he caught her looking very unhappy. He calmed down and motioned for her to follow him. "C'mon, let's go play some video games."

She blinked. "Video games?"

"Yeah, video games," he responded before a sadistic grin appeared. "Unless, you're too scared to play?"

It was a flat out challenge and who was Buttercup to not rise to the challenge? She rose an eyebrow as the familiar sense of adrenaline began pumping through her veins at the prospect of beating her counterpart. "You're on."

 

* * *

 

With things smoothed over with the boys, the atmosphere had become lighter at the girls' base. Of course, the tension between the Professor and his daughters was still present, but it was relatively easier to handle. Bubbles had filled Blossom in with what happened between her and Boomer while Buttercup explained to their leader all that she knew about the situation between Mojo and Brick (she had asked after she had beaten Butch twenty times on his combat game).

Blossom, of course, was a little surprised Brick got upset over whatever it was that Mojo said about her. A part of her felt a girlish sense of pleasure, but another part of her felt bad because she knew, in the end, she would have to betray Brick when the girls made their final move. This new feeling of guilt made Blossom a little more paranoid than normal, but she tried not to delve too deep into her own emotions.

One afternoon, when the girls were doing nothing, Ms. Keane had appeared and asked the girls to come to the conference room. The girls were a little worried because they feared they would be getting a casualty rate again (which was growing higher as the war between Hota Wata and Rocko Socko progressed), but was surprised by something else.

"Is that a…satellite?" Blossom asked as she sat down in her seat, looking at the picture in front of her room. Bubbles and Buttercup were glancing over her shoulder and looked equally astonished as their leader. John, at the head of the table, nodded. The redheaded girl's eyebrows furrowed. "Why does Mojo need a satellite? What's he going to use it for?"

"We don't know yet," John honestly replied. "It could be a number of things, but this is what we uncovered as we went through his notes. We're still working on his plans for it."

Buttercup rose an eyebrow. "Whatever he's using it for, it can't be good."

"No doubt, he's going to use it against the humans," Bubbles added.

Professor Utonium gave another nod of confirmation. "Yes, I'm thinking that too." He sighed heavily. "I also managed to find something out about the boys as well. Mojo has placed something called Antidote X chips into their bloodstream. With a push of a button, the chips will open up and allow the antidote to spread, causing them – "

"To loose their powers," the girls finished in unison.

"Yes."

Bubbles allowed her face to sadden. "How horrible!"

"Unfortunately there is nothing I can do about it," the older man responded. He folded his hands in front of him. "The only way that these chips can disappear is when they're activated. This might be an advantage if we can find this trigger."

"Why?" Buttercup asked.

"For when we make our final move. We need them out of your way. What better way than by taking away their powers."

The girls weren't sure what they felt about that. While they certainly never had their powers taken away from them, the three knew that it probably wasn't a pleasant feeling. Feeling useless and powerless was not exactly a happy experience to people who were used to having an enormous amount of energy within them. Blossom cleared her throat. "And what if we can't find that button?"

John eyed her. "Well, there's a type of string called polyduranium fibroid. We're going to use that to tie the boys up if you can't find that device to keep them out of your way."

Buttercup gave him an incredulous look. "A _string_? Do you know how many times we're going to have to spin that thread around them to make sure they can't break it?"

"You'll be able to use your super speed at that point," their father figure pointed out.

All three girls nodded, satisfied at the response. Feeling that the meeting was coming to a close, Blossom stood up and said, "Okay, so we try to find that button, still put the missing pieces between Brick and Mojo together and figure out why Mojo is using a satellite."

"Right."

Her face became very serious. "We're close to the end. I can feel it."


	19. Bishop

Bubbles hissed as the cold floor came in contact with her toes.

The night was late and, no doubt, everybody in the base was asleep. Her sensitive ears picked up the distinct snores from the Professor as well as Buttercup's normal sleep mutterings. She could vaguely hear Blossom, who was still up, typing away at the computer, still trying to decipher Mojo's notes. Ms. Keane's distinct, soft snores mixed in with the sounds, confirming to Bubbles that aside from herself and Blossom, everyone was out like a light.

The blonde would have been out like a light, too, if she wasn't so restless. It had only been a day since she had spoken with Boomer, but the conversation was bouncing around in her head. She couldn't forget the crushed look he had on his face while she was reprimanding him. A small part of her felt like he deserved to feel that way for everything he had done to the humans, but another part – a rather large, forgiving part – was telling her that he could have a chance.

She knew that she (and her sisters) shouldn't care for the boys in any way, but Bubbles couldn't help but feel like she needed to help Boomer. Perhaps, she mused, she could convince Blossom, when they defeated Mojo (because there was no 'if' about it), to let her help reform Boomer – even though she was already technically doing that. The whole purpose of being around the boys was to make them trust the girls and distract them from looking for suspects about who were destroying Mojo's kingdom – or, at least, have the boys think Cammy, Brittany, and Amber weren't behind the sabotaging, but Bubbles was now forming another mission in her mind.

As she moved out of her room and towards the kitchen, she reflected over various ways on how she could turn Boomer over to their side without him knowing who she was. For sure, Blossom wouldn't like the idea one bit ("Too much of a risk, Bubbles," she would say), but the blue-eyed girl felt that it would be better this way for both the girls and Boomer. Bubbles moved swiftly throughout the base, the cold nipping at her bare arms and legs. She managed to get far from her room when she was stopped because of a sniffling noise. She paused in mid-step, her face scrunching up in confusion. She remained still, unsure if she heard the noise or if it was a figment of her imagination, until she heard the sniffling again.

She glanced over her shoulder and backtracked, following the noise. She eventually stopped in front of Ms. Bellum's room and her face scrunched up in the confusion. Wrinkling her nose, she cautiously knocked on the door. She waited several seconds before she knocked again and received no answer. For a brief moment, Bubbles considered leaving, thinking she was hearing things, but something in her gut was telling her that she wasn't hearing things.

Taking in a deep breath, the blonde teenager pushed the door open and poked her head in. The room was dark when she looked around. In a whisper, she said, "Ms. Bellum? Are you okay?"

There was no answer and the girl had begun to think that she was disturbing the older woman in her sleep when she heard the sniffling again. Determined more than ever to see if the redhead was alright, Bubbles pushed open the door and walked in. There, sitting in the dark on her bed, was Ms. Bellum sniffling and wiping her nose. Her eyes were puffy and red, and it looked like she had been crying for quite awhile.

"Ms. Bellum?" Bubbles whispered again.

Ms. Bellum glanced up and gave the younger girl a watery smile. She wiped her nose once more with a small piece of crumpled tissue again. "Hello Bubbles. I'm sorry I didn't respond sooner. I just didn't want you to see me like this."

The teenager's face fell into sympathy as she slowly sat down on the bed. "I don't mind. There's nothing to be ashamed about. I cry all the time. Buttercup really gets irritated with it, but I don't care. It's healthy." She paused. "What's wrong? Did you hurt yourself?"

The mayor's assistant shook her head. "No, no, nothing like that."

"Then what? You can tell me."

Silence befell the room as Ms. Bellum contemplated about her next words. Bubbles waited patiently, knowing from experience with her sisters, that saying the wrong thing or pushing a person could be the very thing that makes them retreat within themselves. Finally, Ms. Bellum sighed heavily. "Did you know I wanted to be a mother?"

Bubbles shook her head. "No."

"Yes, I did." She paused briefly and shook her head. "About a year before I took the job as the Mayor's assistant, I had gone to the doctors and they noticed that there was a cyst in one of my ovaries. They had to take it out the ovary after some careful watching, but they told me that it would be okay later in life to have children since I still had one ovary. It would be slightly harder to get pregnant, but it would still be okay.

"After I had been hired to work as an assistant, I started to feel an uncomfortable pain in my abdomen once more." She shook her head. "By this point I was already working at Townsville Hall for about seven months and relatively new. I wanted to make a good impression not just to the Mayor, but to the other politicians and assistants working within the Hall, so I ignored the pain to the best of my ability."

Bubbles rose an eyebrow. "What happened?"

Sara sighed. "That was my mistake, I guess. Turns out another cyst had appeared. Mind you, usually cysts go away on their own, but for some reason I was one of the unlucky ones. Well, you can imagine what happened from there."

"So…" the blonde remarked slowly, "You can't have kids?"

"No," came the sad reply. "And what's frustrating was that I wanted a child."

"You were crying about that, weren't you?" Bubbles said after a moment's pause, realization sinking in. "Because you can't have any kids, but you want them?" The older woman nodded and the blonde cried out. "Oh, Ms. Bellum, I am so sorry!"

Sara shook her head. "It's alright. Don't worry about me. Usually I'm fine about it and I have come to accept it, but sometimes I get a little sad about it." She smiled weakly and then placed a gentle hand on Bubbles' shoulder. "Thank you."

"You know," the blue-eyed teen commented as she stood up from her seat to leave, sensing that the redheaded woman might want more alone time. "Just because you can't get pregnant, doesn't mean you can't have a child." She moved towards the door and turned around to see the older woman's confused face. Seeing the expression, Bubbles smiled kindly. "You can always adopt. You know, when this whole thing with Mojo is over with. I'm sure there are going to be kids out there that need a good mom to raise them…and, well, I believe you'd be a great mom."

She giggled as she left the room and didn't notice the sad look on Sara Bellum's face melt into a thoughtful grin.

 

* * *

 

"Do you ever sleep?"

Blossom glanced over her shoulder and gave a small smile. "Occasionally."

Buttercup tiredly snorted and shook her head before she moved to sit next to her sister. The two girls were currently in the computer room and it appeared that Blossom was working on something important. As she pulled her chair closer to her sister, the dark-haired girl said, "What are you working on, Leader Girl? Something important?"

"I'm trying to sort out Mojo's notes for this satellite, but everything is in disarray," Blossom replied, her eyebrows scrunching up as she stared at the various notes. "I've almost gotten through a lot of them – as has the professor – and I'm sure that the satellite has something to do with the human race."

"How bad is it going to be?"

The redhead frowned. "Bad, I think. I'm not certain _how_ bad, but something tell me it's not going to be pleasant." She sighed. "I think we've wasted time with the boys. I know for a fact that the boys have no idea what's going on. Judging by Brick's tense and fidgety nature, I think even _he's_ nervous about what Mojo has planned."

"You can't mean that," Buttercup remarked incredulously, slightly jerking away from her sister, her eyes wide. "You mean to tell me that we've wasted time – and brain cells – getting these boys to be around us all the time for _nothing_?"

Blossom shifted uncomfortably in her seat and shot her sister a look telling her to calm down. "No, not completely. In terms of getting information, we've failed. We need to take it up a notch. We need to get blunt." She paused. "However, it terms of keeping the boys unfocused and not thinking about our current whereabouts, we've accomplished – so far."

"So far?"

"We're on borrowed time," Blossom exhaled. "Brick is not a patient man. He'll get tired with this tedious work that Mojo's having him do for those doors. And when that happens, mark my words, he'll come after us." She chewed on her bottom lip nervously. "We need to hurry. I don't know how much longer I can hold him off." Silence befell the room as the leader of the trio of girls stared at the computer notes. Finally, she sighed heavily and shook her head. "Do you ever wonder what will happen to us after everything is over with?"

Buttercup remained thoughtfully quiet for a brief moment. "Not really, and not because it hasn't crossed my mind, but because I don't want to know. Sometimes I think that nothing good will come of this – no matter who wins. I think, at times, that the humans will still shun us and just tell us we should have done all this in the first place. I've grown accustomed to Earth again and I don't really want to go back up to Rocky." She snorted and muttered underneath breath, "Which I still think is a stupid name."

Blossom nodded, quiet and taking in the information her sister was telling her and letting her lips twitch in amusement at her sister's last statement. The emerald-eyed girl watched the redhead briefly, the quiet enveloping the two of them once more before Blossom mumbled, so quiet that it would have been inaudible if Buttercup didn't have such sensitive hearing, "I'm scared."

"Of what?"

" _Everything_ ," groaned the tired leader. "I feel so much pressure, Buttercup, about everything. I have to be perfect all the time because if I mess up, then not only am I going to pay the price, but you girls and the humans will as well. Do you know what it's like to constantly have to be on top of everything, fearless and hardened against anything that can come your way? It's not a pleasant feeling."

Buttercup frowned. "Nobody tells you to be that way."

Blossom snorted indignantly. "Maybe not, but what do you think would happen if I slipped up once? Need I remind you about the time I nearly blew it with catching Brick's attention and your reaction to it?"

The dark-haired girl flushed decently. "Oh…sorry."

"It's alright," her sister conceded. "It's not your fault. In a way, I put myself in that position; the position of perfection."

"But…that's not the only thing bothering you."

Blossom ran her hands on her face tiredly. "No, I suppose not." She paused. "It's Brick. I don't know what to do with him. I feel so guilty about what we're doing to him and his brothers, and I have to remind myself that they've done wrong." She sighed. "But…I can't help but remember Mrs. Torres' words about the boys not being completely evil, and I can't help but think that she's right."

She shook her head and continued, "I have his trust, I know that, but I know I'm going to have eventually break his trust. I would feel horrible knowing that I have taken whatever trust in humanity he has away. Sometimes, when I'm talking to him, these thoughts pass through my head and it's _unbearable_."

Buttercup watched her sister. Blossom opening up to her like this was a rare occasion. The redhead, though friendly, motherly and receptive to her emotions, kept a lot to herself because she felt that she had to burden her problems on her own because she was the leader. She didn't like showing any weakness because she thought, in her mind, that made her appear to be a weak leader. So, this, right now, was something that Buttercup knew she might not see for awhile.

As Blossom came near the end of her tirade, Buttercup suddenly interrupted by saying, "You're attached to him, aren't you?"

This caused her sister to pause in mid-sentence, shock taking over her. After a moment's pause, the pink-eyed girl slowly replied, "I don't know…maybe…perhaps…yes? I think it's stupid, too, and rather hypocritical of me. I know I'm always telling you and Bubbles not to get attached to these boys, but here I go and get myself attached to Brick. And I don't know _why_." She exhaled, frustrated. "He's arrogant, rude, mean and has a horrible temper and yet…"

"He understands you."

"In a way. I know I get _him_ ," Blossom agreed. "Underneath it all, I pity him. He's being ripped from all that he knew and he has no idea how to handle it. He's touching emotions that he didn't know existed and all he can do is lash out." She laughed bitterly. "I'm a masochist, Buttercup. I'm playing with fire. My mind is telling me that it's wrong, that he's dangerous, but I can't help but return to him every time. There's something about him. He's unlike anyone I've ever met."

Once more, the two girls fell into a quiet moment. Buttercup gaze intently at her sister. "Do you love him?"

The answer was immediate. "No. I know that for certain, but…I think I'm starting to care about him. He's in such unfamiliar territory that it's almost pathetically cute, and that, in turn, makes me feel pathetic. I want to protect him from what's about to come, but I know I can't." She shook her head. "Mojo doesn't care about him."

"But you do?"

"Not yet."

 

* * *

 

Buttercup had contemplated over Blossom's words the next morning. She knew that she should have reprimanded her sister for the growing sentimentality that was developing, but she found that she couldn't. It made sense to her, in a way. Brick and Blossom's relationship was progressing much faster and Buttercup wouldn't have been surprised if Boomer and Bubbles' relationship was also growing. As for herself and Butch, well, it was slowly coming along. She knew she didn't care for Butch the way her sisters cared for their counterparts and it would probably be awhile before she could say that.

Butch was a womanizer and that bothered Buttercup because of his apparent lack of respect for women. She could care less if he went out with a bunch of women, but to him they were just toys, which bothered her. Despite his cheerful, goofy personality towards her, she knew that he didn't respect her. That irked Buttercup. She wanted to be respected. Hell, she practically demanded she be respected and he wasn't giving it to her. It pissed her off.

So, when she appeared to Butch that very same day, she was already in a foul mood because she expected him to treat her like nothing as he usually did towards the female sex. She was surprised, however, when Butch suddenly said, "Why do you speak in that stupid valley girl accent? You know, I can't take you seriously if you do."

"Huh?"

He grinned. "Seriously, I can't. You're pretty ballsy for a girl, but it's that stupid accent." He shrugged. "I have yet to meet a girl that's had the guts to tell me off. You're the first one. I want to respect you, but every time you open your mouth, you sound like a ditz that doesn't know how to speak."

She stared at him, a little perturbed by the sudden one-eighty in his personality. "I thought you liked ditzy girls."

He shrugged again. "Eh, they're okay to have some fun with, but past that point there's nothing there. Just air."

"Just like how you have air for brains?"

The retort was out before Buttercup could stop herself. It must have caught her counterpart off guard because he stared at her for awhile, his eyes wide, before he cracked up and started laughing hysterically. She wore a bemused expression while he did so until he finally calmed down enough to speak clearly. "See? It's moments like that that makes me think you'd be an awesome friend."

"Friend?" she repeated as she rose an eyebrow.

Butch nodded. "Yeah." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. "Or maybe more."

She held back her gag reflex. Well, it was somewhat comforting to know that the idiot still had bits of his personality in there - even if it was, unfortunately, directed at her. Beggars couldn't be choosers. Luckily for Buttercup, she wasn't a beggar, so she could be choosy. "And it's moments like that that make me want to not only hit you, but throw up." She frowned. "I meant it when I said I didn't like it when you act like a womanizer."

He rolled his eyes. "Force of habit."

She shook her head. "But if I can break my stupid valley girl accent habit, then you can break your womanizing habits."

His eyes bulged and he childishly whined, "But, Britt, that's not fair! I need to flirt! It's part of my programming!"

"Well, then, like, I, like, totally, cannot stop speaking this way, like, okay?" Buttercup retorted as she easily slipped back into her 'Brittany' façade.

His face went dark as he scowled. "Don't talk like that."

"Then, like, don't be an idiot."

"Seriously, Brittany."

"Like, seriously, Butch."

"You," he growled as he glared at her, "are the most irritating girl I have ever met."

"And you," she countered smoothly, "are an asshole."

They stared at each other and, for the first time, Buttercup felt her lips twitch in amusement. This was probably the first conversation she ever had with her counterpart that was not only civil, but actually fun. Butch seemed to think so too because he snorted back a laugh and smiled. "Like I said, you've got guts, kid."

"Call me 'kid' one more time and I'll bitch slap you."

"What if I like it?"

"Jackass."

"Yeah, yeah. Let's go play that video game now."

It was at that moment that Buttercup realized she could, with time, become attached to this playful version of Butch. And it was also at that moment that the green girl realized how bad it was going to be when she would be forced to break his trust.

 

* * *

 

"What would the world be like if Mojo hadn't taken over?"

Boomer was going to be in hot water if someone had heard him say that and reported it to Mojo. It could be considered high treason, and the Monkey King wouldn't hesitate stripping the boy of his powers and then doing only God knows what to him once he was powerless. Boomer was no fool. He knew that the boys only got what they wanted because they were a tool and nothing more.

Bubbles, on the other hand, was carefully choosing her words. This was a pivotal moment for the two teenagers. She knew that Boomer had seemed distraught over her lecture the last time they were together and she didn't want to push him away now that he was genuinely curious about a better world. "Well, little kids would be going to school."

"School?"

She nodded. "It's a place where you go to learn all sorts of things. I had been there once – in kindergarten. I loved art time. It was so much fun to color and draw."

Boomer looked adorably curious. "Kindergarten? What's that?"

She smiled kindly. "It's the starting place when kids begin their education." She paused for awhile, reflecting on her short time in kindergarten with her classmates. Finally, she shook herself out of her thoughts. "Anyway, kids would be going school, people would go to work and do their jobs. The sun would be out, shining brightly, while families had picnics or went to the beach. There would be joy and laughter – something I love – and everybody would be living their lives, choosing what they want to do every second. They would be planning weddings, graduations and birthdays. They would be picking out colleges, cars and houses. They would be _living_."

The blonde boy frowned. "It sounds too perfect."

"Oh, it's not," Bubbles said, sadness evident. "Humans aren't perfect, Boomer. They can be vindictive, harsh, and judgmental. They can murder, steal, lie and have affairs on their loved ones." Pain flashed across her face as she remembered something else, something much more hurtful from her past, though the boy across from her didn't know it. "They can ostracize someone they don't like and they lash out."

His frown deepened. "So then why should we allow humans to be free if they're like this? Underneath Mojo's reign, they don't seem like that." He winced and sheepishly added, "Well, except for when they rebel. But, even then, they seemed to be united."

"Because," she replied easily as she sat down on his bed, their current location being his bedroom. He wanted privacy for when they had this talk. "I have seen moments of goodness. We must have the bad moments and the bad people to cherish the good moments and the good people. They balance each other out. Humans, yes, they can be destructive, but they can also be peaceful. Life isn't perfect. It's hard, but it's the struggles that define who we are and make us stronger, wiser and better than before."

"What about me?" he whispered. "Do you think that I can have that?"

"Only if you decide to…" she stopped, thinking about what to say next and simply settled on her sister's words. "…take responsibility for your actions."

Boomer drooped at her words. "I'll never get that. The humans will never forgive me."

His posture and defeated attitude truly made Bubbles' heart stop momentarily, feeling his pain. Tears sprung to her eyes as she went up to him and hugged him. "Oh, Boomer, I know. I understand, but we can try, can't we? I believe that there are good people out there that will understand you want to change your ways. I _know_ someone will forgive you. After all, I already have."

He tensed in her arms. "Really?"

"Really."

He pulled away from her, examined her momentarily, as if trying to see if she was lying. When he saw that she was genuine in her words, he grabbed her hand and placed a gentle kiss on her knuckles. With a small smile, he murmured softly, "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

He could allow his suspicions to pass for a moment.

 

* * *

 

"Hi, Brick."

Brick frowned as he walked down the hallway. How in the world did this woman always manage to find him? "Hello Princess."

The young girl smiled coyly as she fell into step beside him, twirling one of her wide curls in a way that the redheaded boy assumed was meant to be flirtatious. Needless to say, it wasn't working for him. All it was doing was irritating him. Princess, however, didn't seem to register his annoyance (or maybe she didn't care) because she giggled and said, "So, what are you doing right now? Are you busy? Because we can totally go do something fun together…alone. Maybe boss around some servants? That's always fun."

Her words made him frown. Boss around the servants? The very sentence made his mind flash to Cammy's face as he imagined her frowning harshly at Princess. She wouldn't be happy if she saw him ordering around some servants. Worse, she would begin to harp about how he was being unjust. Like he needed that. Instead, he said, "No."

The teenage girl frowned. "Really? Why not?"

"Because I don't want to," he snapped as he turned down another hall, his red eyes flicking this way and that way, looking for an excuse to get away her. "I don't have to offer you an explanation."

"B-but," The girl stammered. "I haven't seen you in forever! Let alone spend time with you." Her face twisted into a scowl. "You're always with that _Cammy_ girl."

Brick didn't know what to address first. One, what made her think he wanted to spend time with her? He had never shown any interest in her (let alone what she liked to do), so where did this whole 'spending time with you' spiel come from? And two, he took note of how she said Cammy's name. It almost sounded like she was spitting out venom. Was there some hostility between the two girls? He'd have to find out.

"She's my assistant."

Princess harshly frowned. "Is that it?"

_What the…?_

"Of course that's it. Why would you assume otherwise?"

"I don't know," Princess snapped, placing her hands on her hips. "You seem awfully overprotective of her – especially for someone who's _just_ your assistant."

He stopped walking by this point and glared at her. "Get your head out of the clouds."

The auburn-haired girl continued, as if she didn't hear Brick's words. "Mojo won't seemed pleased with that, you know. Fawning over a silly human girl…now _that's_ pathetic. Really, Brick, you should choose to be around someone who's more of your caliber."

 _'A silly human girl_ '? Did Princess look in a mirror? And someone of his caliber? He hardly thought Princess could even begin to be _near_ his caliber.

"Obviously, Princess, that wouldn't be you."

The two teens looked ahead and found Cammy standing before him, a deep frown etched on her small face as she gave Princess a severe glare. Brick rose an eyebrow, his lips twitching in amusement, trying to stop the laughter that made its way up his throat. The spoiled girl beside him, however, was less than pleased as she glared back and hissed, "At least I'm somebody."

Cammy rolled her eyes. "Money, sweetheart, cannot buy you the brains you'd need to even keep up with Brick."

The Morbucks heiress's jaw clenched. "I will not take this from a lowly servant girl."

"Is that suppose to be an insult?"

The comeback was not a great one, Brick thought, but the aloofness that his assistant was displaying was enough to throw Princess into a rage. Just watching the exchange made the red ruff swell with pride at the coolness Cammy was displaying. Princess didn't agree with Brick's pondering as she rounded on Cammy and threateningly said, "I told you that you should not anger me, girl. You should be afraid of me."

Blossom grabbed the finger that was being shoved in her face, her tone steely as she said, "And I told you, Princess, that you don't scare me."

"You're only saying this because you think Brick can protect you."

"Not all, sweetie. To be frank, I know I could take you."

"You're going to regret those words."

"Like how I regret meeting you?"

Miss Morbucks let out an undignified shriek as she pushed Cammy aside and marched down the hallway, shouting threats along the way and warning Cammy to watch her back. Once the girl was out of sight, Blossom shook her head and turned to Brick. "How in the world do you put up with her?"

"Same way as I put up with you," he responded, deadpan. "A lot of patience."

It took her a second to realize that he was joking. She bit her lips as she stopped the smile that was on her face. "Funny, very funny."

"Whatever," he sighed. "Let's just get to work."

 

* * *

 

"I WANT HER GONE, MOJO!"

The Supreme Emperor of Earth (as he fondly called himself) rubbed his temples as he listened to Princess Morbucks screeched about Cammy Anderson. The girl had burst through his doors not only a minute ago and already the ape was contemplating throwing her out the window. If it weren't for her fighting skills, he probably would have thrown her into solitude a long time ago. Hmm…maybe he still could? He'd have to check into that.

"And how do you propose we do that?" Mojo tiredly ask, not in the mood for all the theatrics. Really, when he wanted melodramatics, he didn't get it, and when he didn't want it, he got it. The world must hate him - or think it had a great sense of humor.

Princess slammed her fists on the desk. "Send her away."

"To _where_?"

The girl paused in consideration before a sadistic smile split her face. "To the front lines of the war, of course." She coyly tilted her head and cooed, "Let's see how well Miss Anderson can survive that. Think of it, Mojo, she'll be out of your way and you can finally get Brick back on track. And _I_ can help make sure he _stays_ there."

Mojo frowned. The offer seemed tempting. "What if Brick finds out?"

Princess rolled her eyes. "You don't tell him, genius. And if he does, well, you know what you can do."

"Fine."

" _Excellent_."


	20. Knight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "A Chess game is divided into three stages: the first, when you hope  
> you have the advantage, the second when you believe you have an  
> advantage, and the third... when you know you're going to lose!"
> 
> \- Savielly Tartakower

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are some basic Japanese terms in here.
> 
> \- Jou-chan: little girl, little missy, etc.  
> \- Gaki: Brat, etc.  
> \- Sumimasen, daijoubu desu ka: Excuse me, are you alright?  
> \- Hai, hai, daijoubu desu: Yes, yes, I'm alright.  
> \- Namae wa…: My name is…

The cells underneath Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching's palace were dark, cold and unfriendly. She could hear the groans of the other prisoners near her, agonized from the amount of torture or poor treatment they received. Food was scarce and water was hardly handed out. She could feel the dryness and thirst in her mouth and wondered how much longer she would last. Out of all the prisoners, she was given the least of all the servings because the lord of the manor suspected that she knew something about the girls. Of course, she did, but he didn't know that for sure.

Miyuki had to admit, she hated her captor for this. He knew how to push someone to their edge, hoping they would break down and give him whatever information he wanted. Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching purposefully denied her water to make her crazy with thirst, refused her food to weaken her and then tortured her physically and mentally to make her plead for peace and give him information. But the one problem he didn't calculate was the fact that Miyuki had a stronger will than most. Having being raised in freedom and tasting that independence, she had a far stronger resistance to traitorous acts. She always knew that that freedom would be taken if the girls were exposed.

She huddled in a corner of her stone cell, trying to ignore the dampness that was seeping into her bones and the cries of the other prisoners. She clutched her beaten arms, thankful that they weren't broken, but merely bruised. Her legs were tired and weak and Miyuki wondered if she would be able to stand without falling after all this was over with.

She wasn't angry about her predicament. She knew that her grandfather and friends would come when the opportunity presented itself. She also knew that she had put herself in this position. So many months ago she had told Blossom to never attack out of anger, to find the peace in her mind and heart so she could fight with a unclouded head, and now here she was – a prisoner of war because she broke the lessons she was taught and had taught others.

 _I deserve this_ , she thought morbidly.

Outside of her cell, she could hear the prison door open. Immediately afterward, the inmates began either moaning and crying in fear or begging to be released, promising whatever to get back to the slave quarters. Miyuki did no such thing, retaining her dignity. Her dark eyes watched as the guards strode past the other prisoners and headed straight for her. She wasn't surprised. She had been a favorite of Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching's.

They opened the door, pointing spears and guns at her just in case she attacked, and picked her up. They roughly dragged her out of the prison cell and moved her towards the torture chambers. Upon reaching it, she found Cha-Ching, Cha Ching waiting for her, a frown on his face – so unlike his usual malicious smile. She briefly pondered if he had gotten in trouble with Mojo. The thought pleased her. It meant that she was doing something right and that she was helping her friends out.

The guards chained her arms up and stepped back to allow Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching through. The Chinese and Japanese King pointed a finger at her and growled, "You will tell me everything you know!"

She snorted. "That's assuming I know something."

"I _know_ you do," he retorted, glaring at her. "Listen here, _jou-chan_ , I have no patience for you. There are things unfolding and I have a feeling you know something about it. You're not like the other _dorei_."

 _Dorei…slave_ , she thought idly. She often did this. Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching would say Japanese words so she would understand better and she would ponder on the words to distract herself from the interrogation. It wasn't a very fun pastime (especially since she really wasn't learning anything), but it was a welcome change than just accidentally blurting something out.

"What makes you say that?" Miyuki asked with nonchalance.

He slapped her hard. "I don't appreciate your disrespectfulness." He paused and examined her. "You are far too refined than the others and you were better trained in fighting than anyone else. You even managed to slip past my guards. That means you've been trained outside of my knowledge."

"Very nice observations," she commented lightly. "It took you that long to think of this?"

"Shut up, _gaki_!" he shouted as he slapped her again. Her face was tossed to one side and she stayed there for two seconds before letting out a giggle. He probably thought she was going crazy, which was fine because that meant he wouldn't bother with her anymore, but in actuality she was only laughing because she thought it was funny he thought slapping her would do something to her. Sure, it hurt, but it was something she could live with. "Tell me now before I do worse than slap you!"

She frowned. The torture, though, she could live without. So, thinking quickly, she giggled again. "I already told you I don't know anything! I just happened to be a free woman who got angry and riled people up. Now look at me! A prisoner! I think it's funny!"

He rolled his eyes at her exclamations and nodded towards the guards. They unchained her and moved her towards the area where the water-boarding occurred. A part of her was scared to see it, but, if she played her cards right, this would be the last time he tortured her. As they strapped her in, he yelled at her, "The system failures! What to do you know?"

She laughed again. "Nothing, nothing! I know absolutely nothing! You waste your time and energy on a foolish woman who became too confident!"

He growled in frustration and all Miyuki could think of, before the torture started, was how proud her parents would be at her strength and how much she was helping out Blossom and her sisters. Deep in her heart, she knew they were doing everything possible to stop all this.

_I will hold on…for all of them._

 

* * *

 

"This is getting ridiculous," Brick stated as he watched Mojo Jojo through narrowed eyes. The High King was glancing at the papers on his newly repaired desk or dusting off whatever particles had floated on to the wood, but was seldom paying attention to his son. The leader of the Rowdyruff Boys, of course, was irritated that he was doing this. "We are wasting more time trying to carefully pull apart these doors rather than just busting through and getting the information!"

Mojo tore his gaze from the stack of papers to look up. He was momentarily quiet, allowing Brick's annoyance to grow at the lack of response before he sighed heavily and leaned back in his seat. As was his custom, he clasped his hands in front of him. "You are right. It would actually cost less to create a whole new set of doors than trying to keep these ones. I'm losing my profits everyday because of whoever is behind the system failures."

He handed a stack of papers to his personal butler, Wayne Stiles, and nodded his head in the direction of Brick. The human nodded curtly back before he stiffly moved to Brick and handed him the stack of papers. What neither of them noticed, however, was Wayne quickly reading the information and memorizing it. He would have to report what he heard and read later on to Chief Hittledee to pass to Professor Utonium and his team.

Brick, meanwhile, looked over the information as Mojo continued speaking, "There are slaves that are reported missing and never found, my factories, as a result, are losing production, and communications, I'm sure, are being watched. On top of that, just last week a weapons factory had exploded. Upon investigation, we realized it wasn't on accident." He frowned. "I feel like I'm living in a topsy-turvy world. Fix this, Brick, and fix it now."

As the redheaded boy continued flipping through the papers, he said, "Is this permission to rip those doors open?"

Mojo waved his hand. "Yes, yes. Do whatever is necessary to get those computers back up and capture those pests! As far as I'm concerned, I can repair whatever is lost with the money I'll make once my personal rats are out of the way."

The teenage boy grunted his affirmation before he turned away and walked out of the room. Wayne quietly watched, taking in everything he heard. As he did this, he heard Mojo calling him. The butler stood in front of his employer, readying to take any command and information given to him. The Supreme Monkey King groaned before he said, "Reports."

The human bowed slightly before bringing out a manila folder from his jacket. He slowly handed him the reports as he said, "There are reports from Lord Hota Wata, Lord Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching and Lord Ojo Tango. Here are also the production reports of the economy and the status reports of the slaves and human casualties of the war, my lord."

Mojo shooed Wayne away and the butler took this opportunity to get out of sight to relay any information he had memorized during his time with his masters. As soon as the human was out of sight (unbeknownst to him what said human was up to), Mojo opened up the letters. Most of it was the usual reports that he had gotten, but what interested him the most was Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching's report about the Japanese girl. Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching presented him, some time ago, about his suspicions that the girl was connected to the system failures based upon specific evidence and Mojo had given him the okay to use any means necessary to extract the information. Many days later, there was still no new information.

 _I will call him when the phones are back up_ , Mojo thought as he pushed the reports back and brought forth his plans and notes for the near future.

 

* * *

 

Brick was a mild form of happy as he made large strides towards the Computer Mainframe room, where the workers were currently working on getting the doors open. When he reached the area, he found Boomer leaning against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest and staring into space. Brick thought nothing of his brother's current state as he said, with ease, "Boomer, Mojo gave us the green light to rip the doors apart – no holds barred."

He glanced back at the doors, waiting for a response or a movement and was slightly irritated when his blonde teammate didn't give the proper action. Hating having to repeat himself, Brick barked out, "Boomer, wake up and get your ass on ripping those doors down!"

The blue Rowdyruff jerked from his dreamlike state and threw his leader a dirty look before he wretched himself from the wall and moved to rip the doors down. Satisfied that his orders were being carried out, Brick went back to watching the progress. He was so attuned to the Computer Mainframe door that he hadn't heard Cammy slip in beside him. It was only when she cleared her throat did he notice her next to him, holding out papers, saying, "Can you sign these reports, Brick, so I can file them?"

He immediately took the papers out of her hands, checking over her work and signing them as he went along. When he noticed Cammy calmly looking at Boomer and the workers, he said, "Mojo gave us the permission to rip the doors down. This means I can get the systems back up and I can finally catch who did this."

He carefully watched her reaction at these words and was slightly disappointed when she didn't even bat an eyelash at the news. She merely nodded slowly before she glanced back at him and held her hands out. "You done signing those?"

Brick kept the papers in his hands, keeping his eyes on her. He studied her, taking her in. It was only after awhile – when she started shifting uncomfortably in his scrutiny – did he realize he was no longer studying her for a reaction, but was just looking at her, taking in her looks and posture. He nearly slapped himself for doing such a… _teenage_ thing and quickly shoved the paperwork back into her hands. Fighting the flush growing on his face, he waved his hands in dismissal. "Go file those or whatever it is you're going to do."

She gave him an odd look before she slowly moved away from him, casting one last look at him over her shoulder before she disappeared around the corner. He rubbed his face with his hands. He honestly had no idea what was happening to him anymore when he was around Cammy. Shaking off the disturbing thoughts, he turned his attention back to the work in front of him began making orders.

 

* * *

 

The moment that she knew he couldn't see her anymore, Blossom broke off into a sprint down towards the lounge room, where she knew Buttercup and Butch were hanging out, playing something called 'video games' (whatever that was). She had schooled her reactions into nonchalance when Brick was telling her that the doors were coming down and the systems going back up, but she had honestly panicked when he told her that.

The first thing that had flashed through her mind was that she needed to tell her sisters. Buttercup was the closest since she was in the palace and Bubbles would have to be second since she wasn't around at the moment. The second thing that had crossed her mind was that they hadn't finished collecting information about Mojo's plans. While they had gone back once to Mojo's secret room to collect information, they hadn't found anything there to help them along with deciphering his notes.

Blossom kept an eye out for anyone who would stand in her way, making sure to avoid them. Her hands were curled so tightly that the reports were beginning to crumple. She knew she would regret that later, but there were more pressing matters on her mind – like the fact that Brick could find out the truth about her alias.

"Halt!"

The disguised teen nearly fell on the floor in surprise with the shout. She pressed her hands on to her knees to keep herself from tumbling over as she checked behind her to see who stopped her. She was greatly annoyed when she saw Mrs. Brown storming towards her, in a huff and looking ready to do just about anything to anyone who crossed her path. And of course, that person just so happened to be Blossom. Straightening up and hiding the irritation, Blossom said as politely as she could, "What can I help you with, Mrs. Brown?"

The older woman frowned. "You are not supposed to be running in the hallways! I ought to report you!"

At the words, Blossom couldn't help but think, _God, this woman just wants to report_ anyone _, doesn't she?_

"And what are you doing running through hallways anyway?"

The teenage girl held up the wrinkled reports. "I have to file these. Brick asked me to."

" _Master_ Brick, you impudent girl," sniffed Mrs. Brown as she eyed the reports with distaste. No doubt she was criticizing the state of the papers in her mind. "Just because you think you have the protection of Angela doesn't give you the right to address the Master as such."

The redhead gritted her teeth in frustration. "Yeah, sorry."

The two women stayed quiet, both of them eyeing each other. Just when the younger woman was about to pull away, Mrs. Brown stepped forward. Blossom would've ignored her if it were for the happy gleam in the older woman's eye. Despite the small number of exchanges with her, Blossom knew her well enough to know it was never a good thing when Batty Brown was happy.

As Mrs. Brown circled her, the Head-House Parlor Maid said in a mockingly sweet voice, "You're such a pretty girl. It's no wonder that Master Brick took you on as his assistant." She reached for some of Blossom's hair and gently tugged it. "You probably feel fortunate because of the position. But let me let you let you in a secret, sweetheart, all good things must come to an end."

Blossom's heart began pounding at those eerie words. "What do you mean by that?"

Mrs. Brown just continued to smile as she patted the girl's cheek and then walked away. The change in demeanor had Blossom reeling as she took a step back. She must have stayed there for several minutes before she moved again. All she could think of was Mrs. Brown's words. While the words were probably nothing other than just something to scare her and put her in her place, Blossom couldn't help but think the warning that was given was foretelling.

 

* * *

 

Butch growled when the words ' _GAME OVER'_ flashed across the screen again and Brittany sent him a triumphant look. He only rolled his eyes and gently pushed the girl, who snickered at his actions. The two had been playing video games for what felt like hours. Boomer had come in earlier, watched for a couple of minutes, before he sighed and left the room. During that time, though, it had relatively been just them. Brittany, every now and then, would ask him what the deal was with Brick and Mojo, but Butch would only shrug and say he didn't know, which was true. He honestly didn't.

So, during the twentieth match up of their characters, the two had shared a good time of video games, joking and laughing, but the atmosphere drastically changed when Brittany suddenly said, "Do you ever think you're wrong?"

Butch sensed that she wasn't talking about being wrong in general, but something else. He, though, refused to answer such a serious question and only grinned. "Me? Wrong? Never."

She rolled her eyes. "No, Butch, that's not what I meant. I mean, don't you think it'd be more fun if everyone was free?"

"What do you mean?" he muttered, keeping his eyes focused on the screen in front of him, wincing when her character landed a great combo on his. "I have plenty of fun with the humans as slaves. Wouldn't it be more annoying if they were free?"

Buttercup pressed her lips together at his words, but didn't say anything immediately. She had to take this from a different angle, one he would understand. After a moment of silence and beating him again, she finally had an adequate response. "You like the bar, right?"

"Duh. It's where I meet you, babe."

"Shut up and be serious, Butch."

"Right, sorry."

She sighed heavily. "While at the bar, you drink and play games and laugh with the other guys in the bar. They're afraid of you, yes, because they know you can beat them up, but they're willing to let go of status for a moment and just have fun with you. You like that, right?"

"Yeah, I do."

She nodded. "Well, imagine that _everywhere_."

Butch frowned. "I'm still not seeing your point."

She paused the game, ignoring his indignant cry, and faced him. "Butch, what if the girls actually liked you because of _you_ and not because they fear you? What if the people are actually just having fun and not scared you're going to hurt, but because they genuinely want your company? Wouldn't you like that?"

He shrugged. "Well, yeah, but freeing the humans won't solve that. They're bad, remember? No offense."

She stared at him, realizing where the problem laid with these boys, seeing what her sisters had seen in their counterparts. These boys really didn't understand what Mojo was doing and that having ownership and taking away the rights of the humans was _wrong_. Slowly, steadily, she said, "What if the people you thought were bad were actually good and the people you thought were good were actually bad?"

"How's that possible?"

"Butch, didn't you ever ask why the humans were enslaved?" she questioned him and wasn't surprised when he shook his head. "It was a surprise takeover. He tricked everyone into believing that he was going help them before he turned around and used his creations to overpower them. And why? Because he just wanted power. The humans hadn't had a chance."

"But didn't they do something wrong? Mojo tell us they're bad all the time," Butch responded, looking genuinely confused. This line of thinking was a stretch for him. "He tells us they lie and cheat and steal."

"Yeah, but so do the regional lords," she pointed out, which he nodded to. "People aren't perfect, Butch. They make mistakes, but not every human is bad. You're talking to me, aren't you? They're _a lot_ of good people out there that were completely innocent and led normal, happy lives that were suddenly turned around when Mojo took over – just as easily as there were people that miserable lives, but they all had more _choices_ then than they do _now_."

He was quiet as he took in her words. A part of her felt like laughing because she was defending the people that had betrayed her and believed she was at fault for what was happening, but another part of her knew that, no matter how angry she was, the humans didn't deserve this. Butch seemed to come to the same conclusion – or one similar to hers – because he said, "But, even if we free them, they'll hate us."

"Not unless you do something good for them," Buttercup remarked. She grimaced when she said, "Like apologizing for one. Besides, I think they're madder at other people – like Mojo or those three girls."

He nodded. "Yeah, but…"

"Just think about it, Butch, will you?" she cut him off. "And research everything."

The dark-haired boy looked ready to say something else when Blossom burst into the room. The two teens jumped at the sound, but calmed when they realized who it was. They didn't get a chance to speak because Blossom hastily said, "Can I speak to Brittany for a second, Butch?"

Buttercup narrowed her eyes. To Butch, Blossom probably looked calm, but her sister noticed some telltale signs that showed that Blossom was worried. However, she didn't let her suspicions show as she calmly stood up, said goodbye to Butch and walked out of the door. She didn't speak as soon as the girls were outside of the lounge room and didn't continue to say anything as they walked down various hallways. And she wasn't surprised when, as soon as they were out of Butch's hearing range, Blossom whirled around, panic creeping into her eyes, and said, "Brick's getting the computer systems back up today! Do you know what this _means_!"

"I might," Buttercup replied slowly. "If you weren't speaking so fast and actually breathing."

Blossom didn't appear to have heard her. "This isn't good. I thought we'd get a little more time before they finally got through. I mean, Mojo was so insistent that those doors not get ruined and now he's changed his mind! I don't understand it! We haven't even figured out what Mojo's planning on doing with that satellite! What if it's something very bad and we can't get the information because everything's back on full alert!"

"Blossom – "

"And that reminds me! Are we going to be able to sneak in and out of here to get back to the base? What if we can't? Or what if they trace us back to the base? That could be bad! Any chance of winning would get thrown out the window!" The usually pink-eyed teenager continued ranting, either ignoring or not hearing her name.

"Blossom, you – "

Blossom shook her head. "Not to mention what would happen if Brick looked up our aliases? I researched as much as I could with what I had at the time, but what if he finds something out that I didn't? He'll know we're fakes!"

"Blossom."

"Everything is going wrong. I'm so stupid! I put too much on one plan! How can I call myself a strategist and – "

" _STOP TALKING, BLOSSOM_!"

Quiet filled the hallway as Blossom froze mid-rant. They remained still for a moment before the redheaded girl slowly turned around and hissed, "Don't say my real name so loud! What if someone heard us, huh? Do you know – "

Buttercup groaned and grabbed her sister's face between her hands. "Didn't I just say stop talking? _Breathe_ for a moment, will you? No! No talking! Just breathing and – again, didn't I just say 'no talking'? – relax!" She paused. "Okay, now _slowly_ and _clearly_ tell me what bug crawled up your butt to make you this panicked?"

Blossom femininely wrinkled her nose. "That is a grotesque expression."

"I really don't care at this moment. Answer – _now_."

The two girls remained in silence before the leader visibly relaxed and slowly started talking. "Brick told me that Mojo gave him the authorization to rip the Computer Mainframe doors. I'm worried because the systems will be back up and that might cut our time short."

Buttercup nodded slowly, taking in the information. "Okay, I understand that, but I'm sure we can fix that. That's not all that's bugging you though, is it?"

Blossom was quiet for a moment, averting her eyes to the ground. "Mrs. Brown stopped me before I got here and said something that's been bothering me. She told me 'all good things come to an end' and made it sound like she knew something I didn't." Now she looked at her sister. "What if Mojo or Brick is planning something and I've completely missed it? I'm…I'm…I'm _scared_."

Buttercup gave her sister a hard stare before hugging her. "Relax, alright? Batty Brown might've just been saying that to get underneath your skin because she gets irritated easily…or she might've been saying that because something's up. Whatever it is, I swear that we'll be right there with you, making sure everything's okay."

"But – "

"No 'buts', okay?" interrupted the dark-haired girl. "We are going to be fine. We are going to defeat Mojo, free the humans, save Miyuki and end this craziness, but you need to stop freaking out. Seriously, Blossom, it's starting to freak me out. I'm not used to you acting like a spaz."

"'Spaz'?"

Buttercup shrugged. "Nutty person. Butch uses it."

Blossom's lips twitched. "Are you going to adopt any more of his mannerisms? Let me know so I can separate the two of you."

"Shut up, Leader Girl."

The two sisters shared a small laugh before Buttercup patted Blossom's shoulder. "Now, go do whatever chore Brick is having you do and, when we get home, we'll discuss everything. No more freak outs. I'd hate to see Bubbles go into spaz mode because of you."

Blossom nodded, gave her sister a hug and a quiet 'thanks' before she walked away. Buttercup gave a half smile as her sister disappeared around the corner. In all honesty, the green-favored girl usually didn't care for Blossom's perfectionist leadership qualities, but ever since that talk the two had had about the pressures of leadership, Buttercup felt more sympathetic and understanding towards her sister. She honestly couldn't imagine the anxiety that her sister was facing right now and was surprised she didn't have mental breakdown.

As she turned to move back towards the lounge room, Buttercup clenched her fists and silently promised to do what it took, from this point, to protect her family with everything she had.

 

* * *

 

The chore of returning everything to its former glory had been quite a task that Brick didn't particularly like. After Boomer had ripped the doors open (after which he stormed away, muttering to himself), the leader of the Rowdyruff Boys had entered into the room and set to work. Just trying to start up the computer had been a task because it would continuously shut down, which made trying to find the virus that was _causing_ the shutdowns even harder.

After a couple of frustrating hours, Brick managed to locate the virus and delete it. It took another hour to get the communications, lighting, security and whatever other systems were down back up and running, with newer, tighter security systems. Four guards were standing at the broken, ripped doors by the time Brick came out of the room and he said nothing to them, knowing that it was Mojo's doing that they were there. Besides, he had better things to do.

When he returned to his room (to find Cammy not there), he had immediately set to finding out any information he could about what was going on around the world, who had broken into the systems and checking any information on Brittany, Amber and Cammy. A lot of the information was scrambled because of the global-wide shutdown, so, three hours in, Brick had a massive headache and was at the point where he just wanted to throw the computer against the wall.

He placed his hands in his head, wanting to at least get rid of the headache. It's what was making his computer frustrations even worse. He nearly groaned when he heard the door to his room open and knew instantly that it was Cammy. He was in no mood to argue with her or deal with her snarky attitude. However, he was pleasantly surprised when she set about her tasks in silence, sensing his foul spirit. He released a sigh of relief when she made no move to speak with him. All the better.

Brick closed his eyes and began rubbing them, hopping to relieve the pressure in his pounding head. He did that for several seconds before he felt cool, thin, feminine fingers touch his temples and began moving them circular motions. He was about to snap at Cammy for touching him when the pounding in his head was lessened at her ministrations. All she said to him was, "Relax."

She continued these motions for awhile and slowly Brick began to relax, leaning his head against her as she went from rubbing his temples to massaging the rest of his head, running her fingers through his hair. He was not usually one for contact, but what she was doing was simply heaven. She managed to bring a warmth around that he had not felt from anyone and her presence was soothing both his temper and his headache. It was a new experience and one that Brick was not sure he liked or disliked.

As Cammy repeated her actions, Brick's eyes flew open briefly to look at the teenage girl that was touching him. He examined her as she gave him a small smile. She was different, he had noted. She had softer, feminine, mature curves to her face that made her appear both womanly and sophisticated, unlike Brittany (who carried a slighter, tougher edge) or Amber (who was more girlish). There was an undercurrent of intelligence and experience to her, like she had seen and done things that Brick hadn't. And, he noticed for the first time, there was an air of…leadership? Her whole stature carried a small twinge of confidence and precaution that a commander had.

It drew Brick to her.

He hadn't known many girls in his lifetime. Most of them were ones that Butch brought home to stroke his ego and those girls seemed fragile and breakable. Others seemed too battle-hardened or too naïve. Princess, herself, had her face scrunched up in disdain and expectancy, like a spoiled child ready to throw a temper tantrum. A select number of girls or women were smart, but lacked confidence. Others had too much confidence and weren't smart. Yet, Cammy, however, seemed to carry the qualities that made Brick respect her – like her, even.

It unnerved him.

She was the only one equal to him, as far as he was concerned. The only one with the courage to fight with him and challenge him intellectually, something no one else had done. She was a force to be reckoned with and Brick couldn't help but like that in her. She was petite and looked like she could be broken in a snap, but there was an unyielding strength in her. It was simply amazing.

As he watched her, he noticed that she tucked her bottom lip underneath her teeth once more. It was a tic she had whenever she was thinking or nervous. It was a bad habit. It would force the top part of her jaw forward, making them buck out, if she continued to do it. So, as usual when he noticed her doing it, he reached up and gently removed the pink flesh from her teeth. And like the time at the carnival, he had kept his fingers over her lips longer than necessary.

She froze. Her hands were no longer moving and she didn't seem to blink as they continued to stare at each other. She was tense, much like he normally was whenever she touched him. He didn't know how long he stayed there, staring at her, but he did know that it was he who grabbed her by the back of her neck and lower her head to his.

The touch of her lips against his was _different_. Hell, everything about her was different. The contact between the two stirred up emotions in him that he didn't know existed – like _fear_ , for one. He waited in a dreadful couple of seconds what she would do. He technically could hold her there, given his strength, but he wouldn't force her to do something she didn't want to do. He was immensely relieved, though, when she pressed back.

Her hands dropped from his hair as she clutched at the sides of his face, deepening the kiss. His own hands shook as he mirrored her actions. And through it all, he could help but repeatedly think, _Different. Unusual, but not un-liked._

But as quickly as the kiss started, it ended. She hastily ripped herself away from him, jerking him a little and shocking him. He righted himself as he watched her back up, looking panicked and stuttering, "I…um…I, uh, I need to…um… _oh God_ …"

He moved to say something, but she disappeared faster than he could think. He stayed there, like a fool, watching the door as if she were going to come back. When he came to his senses, he couldn't but feel the same way. _Oh, God…what had he done?_

 

* * *

 

_What have I done?_

It was all she could think about as she sprinted away from Brick's room as if he were going to follow her. One of her hands grazed the walls as she ran while the other covered her mouth, the feel of his lips still on hers. She rubbed her fingers fiercely against her lips, trying to banish whatever memories or feelings that were coursing through her. Her senses were a jumble, unable to hear, see or touch anything other than what happened not several seconds before.

 _What have I done? Oh, God,_ she thought again as she continued to run. _What am I going to do?_

What _was_ she going to do? Was she going to tell her sisters what happened? Can she? No, she can't. She had constantly lectured them on not getting attached to their counterparts and here she was – she couldn't even say what she had been doing with him! Buttercup finally understood her and the pressures she faced! What would her dark-haired sister say if she were to find out what Blossom had done? And Bubbles! Blossom wouldn't be able to take the sympathetic look she would receive from the caring blonde. No, it'd be too much.

She stopped running as soon as she rounded a corner and leaned against it, breathing heavily – more from her nerves rather than her being out of breath from running. She rubbed her lips fiercely again. She squeezed her eyes shut. _Why did he do that? What_ possessed _him to do that?_

In reality, Blossom could tell John what happened and act nonchalantly, as if she were leading him to do that. It was part of the job description, wasn't it? Weren't they supposed to seduce the boys anyway, to get them distracted? Couldn't she say she was doing seducing him if she were to tell everyone? After all, when she really needed to be, she was decent liar. They would never know the difference.

" _Keep eye on mission. Let nothing distract."_

She pinched the bridge of her nose. _I'm so sorry, sensei. I let myself become distracted._

When did that happen? When did she allow herself to become so consumed with what Brick was doing and thinking? Wasn't she supposed to be focusing on figuring out Mojo's plans and tearing down his empire?

No, no, they were doing that. Just last week, the girls and herself had managed to blow up a factory that was creating weapons for the war between Hota Wata and Rocko Socko. And Bubbles had told her that both she and Wayne Stiles had managed to change the number of missing slaves as Ms. Bellum and Ms. Keane operated on getting slaves out during this communication failure. On top of that, Setsuko and Hayate were still touring the world, letting everyone know to be patient. Things were going well, right?

 _Except in the case of Brick_.

Blossom groaned, feeling frustration, but didn't have time to contemplate what she was going to do with the teenage boy because she felt two pairs of strong hands grab her arms and began dragging her off. Her first instinct was to shake them off of her violently, but held everything in check as her eyes snapped open and found two chimpanzee guards to be the ones yanking her around. Frowning, she said, "What are you doing to me? Let go!"

"Shut up, human!" snapped one of the guards.

She didn't pay attention to the order. "Where are you taking me?"

One of the other guards spared her a brief glance, a snide smile on his face. "His Majesty wishes to see you."

"Mojo?" she repeated, confused. "Why?"

The guard, who had spoken first, growled. "Refer to him by the proper title, you stupid child!"

Blossom's heart pounded, reflecting back to the words that Mrs. Brown had shared with her awhile ago. Was this what Brown meant? Did the older woman know that this would happen, or was it some sort of coincidence? Did Mojo know who she really was and was she now going to have to deviate and create a new plan? Were her sisters in trouble too, or was it just her?

As the questions flew through her mind, the redheaded girl forced herself to calm down and think over the information she had to make an appropriate plan. Unfortunately for her, she would just have to wait to see what would happen since neither Brown nor the guards had provided her with enough information.

As she was dragged up to the door to Mojo's office door, she caught the eyes of Wayne Stiles. She held eye contact with him for several seconds, hoping he understood that something was wrong. She hoped he even knew who she was. He only he knew who the adults and Bubbles looked like since he worked with them, but he hadn't worked with her or Buttercup before. However, she couldn't dwell on it as she was ripped away from the man and thrown into the office.

She shot the two guards a dirty look before she glanced up and found Mojo sitting at his desk, looking regal, even with his twisted smile on his face. Princess was by his side, looking unsettlingly pleased and that didn't bode well for Blossom. Straightening herself up, she waited to see what was going to happening, flipping back and forth between her two current enemies. Definitely did not bode well for her.

"Miss Anderson," Mojo addressed her. "Can you tell me why you're here?"

"No," she answered quickly and then grimaced when she bit out, " _sir_."

The king looked rather smug. "Miss Morbucks tells me you've been a problem child, to say the least, and I can't help but agree with her."

She raised her eyebrow, shooting a brief look at Princess. "How so?"

"Disrespectful," he remarked smoothly when he noticed her lack of addressing him by the appropriate title. "Most unsettling, but I see your point, Princess. She has become too comfortable. She is forcing Brick to lose his edge and she's nothing but a hindrance."

 _I'm right here, you know_ , she thought sardonically as she strained to keep herself from throwing the others a glare.

Mojo sighed dramatically. "I'm afraid, Miss Anderson, that we no longer have any use for you. Brick no longer has any use for you. You have wasted too much time here."

Blossom tried not show that she was anxious. _Oh no…what's he going to do?_

"However," he continued as he leafed through some papers on his desk. "The front lines could use you. Say, Thailand, perhaps?"

"What?" she couldn't help but say, realizing what was happening. She wasn't really worried. Nothing over there could really hurt her, but the lack of communication with her sisters and Brick would put a horrible wrench in her plans. As if the systems being rebooted back up weren't bad enough. And what's worse, if she left, she wouldn't be able to come back without explaining how. This was not good.

"Did your human brain not understand?" Mojo said mockingly. "Let me say it clearly: _you are going to Thailand_. There, was that so hard?" He didn't wait for her respond. "Guards! Guards, take Miss Anderson to the transporter that is leaving for Thailand this instant! Don't wait and don't let her out of your sight!"

The guards, who had stumbled in, nodded as they roughly grabbed her arms again. Blossom grunted more out of anger than being hurt as she clenched her jaw to keep herself in control. As they started yanking her out of the office, she heard Princess coyly call out, "I told you that you should be afraid me! Ta-ta, Miss Anderson! I'll give Brick your farewell for you!"

 _Oh, I'm going to hurt that brat when I get my hands on her_ , Blossom thought darkly as she was rounded around the corner. She quickly switched her thoughts to her situation. She briefly thought about hurting her escorts, but knew that it would do no good. _I break free, I endanger my sisters, and the plan, no matter how dysfunctional it is at the moment, is shot to hell. I'll just have to improvise from here to keep them safe – even if it means getting sent to Thailand._

 

* * *

 

Wayne Stiles clearly knew who Blossom was as Ms. Bellum had told him that she was Brick's assistant and had seen the girl wandering around with the boy on several occasions. So, when she was getting dragged into Mojo's office, he momentarily panicked for the girl. He locked eyes with her and tried to give her a silent message that he knew what was going on, but didn't think she got the message as she was thrown into the room. All he could was run away from the office as soon as the chimpanzee guards were not paying attention to him to notify anyone that he could.

He wandered around for ten minutes, annoyed he could find anyone, but was immensely relieved when he found Miss Buttercup Utonium leaving the boys' lounge room, looking tired. His mind froze when he tried to recall her undercover name and cursed himself as he couldn't think of it, so he settled for calling on, "Miss! Miss, wait!"

He was happy when she turned around, confusion etched on her features when she saw him running towards her. Wayne's eyes were widen as he motioned for her to follow him and was glad she didn't put up a fight. As soon as they were far enough away so Butch couldn't overhear – or anyone else, for that matter – Wayne whirled around and hissed, "Miss Utonium, your sister – your leader – is in danger!"

Buttercup's eyes grew big. "What? How do you know this?"

He shook his head. "I saw her getting dragged into Mojo's office right now and heard on a couple of occasions Princess Morbucks complaining about her, begging him to get rid of her." He paused and sighed heavily. "I thought she was just whining and he wouldn't listen to her, but I fear I've been wrong."

The emerald-eyed teen rubbed her face with her hands. "This isn't good." She stopped speaking for a minute before she placed a hand on Wayne's shoulder. "You get back to your job and let me handle this. I promise this will all work out."

He nodded slowly and moved to go back to his master's office. However, just before he left, he glanced over his shoulder. "Miss Utonium? I just want to say thank you for what you're doing for this planet. I know we were the ones to ostracize you girls and we don't deserve your help, but we are eternally grateful for your sacrifice. You three are truly, without a doubt, heroes in my eyes."

Buttercup didn't have a chance to respond as he scurried off after he spoken. A warmth filled inside her chest at his words, but shook it off when the cold reality that Blossom was in danger was brought back to her mind. She brought out the ear-piece that had been in her pocket and placed in it her ear. She didn't expect Blossom to have hers. The three of them didn't really use them anymore when they were around the boys and Buttercup now realized what a mistake that was.

"Bubbles, you there?"

" _Yeah,_ " answered her sister. " _What's up, Buttercup?"_

"Blossom's in trouble. I think Mojo's planning on getting rid of her."

"' _Rid of her'? How? Is he sending away or is he…_ "

"I don't know," sighed Buttercup. "I hope not."

Bubbles sounded stressed. " _What are we going to do?_ "

"Notify the Professor. We need to start looking for her."

" _I'm on it._ "

 

* * *

 

He didn't know how long he sat there, thinking over his actions, but he eventually tore himself from his own world when he came to the conclusion that he had only kissed Cammy because it was those damn hormones that prompted him to do it and nothing else. Never mind that he was lying to himself when he thought that.

However, despite his internal war and denials, Brick did know that he'd have to set things straight with Cammy. He knew that he'd have to let her know that what happened between them was just a mistake ( _lies_ ), that this wouldn't affect their friendship ( _even_ more _lies_ ) and that they would carry on as normal if nothing happened ( _egregious lies_ ). That was, he thought bitterly, if she was still talking to him once he found her.

Getting up, he briefly glanced at his computer, thinking he should check over Cammy's personal information, but shook his head, figuring he could come back to it later and left to go find his assistant and, in many ways, greatest friend.

The redheaded boy moved around the palace, searching in all the typical spots she'd normally be, but couldn't find her. He resorted to asking the servants if they had seen her, but many of them stated they had not seen her in quite some time. He'd even asked Mrs. Torres, but the older woman was just as confused as he was because she, too, was looking for the girl. After about an hour of searching, Brick started getting upset because he couldn't find Cammy.

Just when he was about to give up, a horrible thought crossed his mind: Princess or Mojo must've done something. The two had been hinting to him and Cammy that they were going to do something to her, but he had thought they were mostly threats! He didn't think they'd actually do something – especially since Brick made progress in getting all the systems back up and the Computer Mainframe cleaned out for any viruses.

Clenching his jaw, he stalked over to Mojo's office, nearly shoved Wayne out of the way and burst into the room, where Mojo was just finishing up a conversation with Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching over the phone. Near the large window of his office sat Princess, filing her nails and looking bored. Her face lit up when she saw Brick, but shrunk considerably when he shot her a dark look. The boy waited until Mojo got off the phone and nearly lost it when Mojo calmly said, "Yes, my son?"

"Where's Cammy?" he hissed, not in the mood.

The Primate King blinked innocently. "Who?"

" _Cameron Anderson_ ," Brick said slowly with a condescending edge to it. He held his hands up at the approximately height of the petite girl. "She's about this tall, brownish-red hair, hazel eyes? Works with me so I can find your damn culprit? Where's Cammy, Mojo?"

"Oh, her," sighed the evil genius lightly. He glanced at Princess. "Princess, have you seen Miss Anderson anywhere? It seems my son lost her."

"Nope," giggled Princess as she continued to file her nails, though she stared straight at the boy of her desires. "Maybe she finally ran away."

"Perhaps."

Somehow, Brick doubted it. Even with what happened between the two of them, he knew that Cammy wasn't the type to hide from a problem. She might back off to think about her situations, but she wouldn't hide. Crossing his arms and trying to keep his dwindling control over his temper in check, he growled, "Don't mock me, Mojo. Where is she? _What did you do to her_?"

Mojo gave him a hard stare. "She's just a slave, my boy. What does it matter to you?"

 _She's not just a slave, you imbecile_ , the teenage boy thought, but said aloud, "She's my assistant and I want to get work done. Do you know hard it is to find a good assistant around here?"

"Wayne's a good assistant."

"You won't let me use him."

"I need him."

"Well, I need Cameron," Brick retaliated. "Give her to me."

Mojo finally stood up, having heard enough. Glaring at the commander of his trio of sons, he said, "I don't think that would be possible. You see, Brick, I have heard news that Rocko Socko needed more slaves to help with his war effort. What kind of king would I be if I didn't provide? And Miss Anderson has proven that she's a bright girl and easily adaptable to her situations. So I sent her to some labor camp in Southeast Asia."

It took everything in Brick's control to not hit the primate in front of him or widen his eyes out shock. "You sent her to the front lines? To fight? Are you mad!"

Mojo shrugged. "I don't know what she's doing there or what use Rocko Socko would have for her. I just sent her there."

"Why would you do that!" the redheaded boy yelled.

"For the very same reason you're yelling at me," Mojo quietly said, a dangerous quality to the tone of his voice. This shut his son up for a moment and he pointed a finger at the boy. "You've become too attached to her and its impairing your judgment. I did not create you to get attached to these pathetic weaklings, but to keep them and the regional lords in check."

" _Funny how you're complaining about your rights being taken away…because you're doing to the humans what Mojo's doing to you."_

The teenage boy could suddenly hear Cammy's words come back to haunt him. Mojo was laying Brick's exact existence out on the table with no holding back and he couldn't help but reflect back to all the conversations that he held with Cammy.

"I had to remove the problem – Miss Anderson – before you became worse!"

" _I guess we have a lot to teach each other, don't we?"_

" _I suppose we do."_

"You should be thanking me for removing such a distraction! She would have torn you asunder!"

" _Brick, why do you stay with Mojo?"_

"You couldn't even see what she was – _is_ – doing to you! It's ridiculous how much you listened to her, and what's worse is that you _allowed_ her to talk!"

"Neanderthal _! You are no better than the primates you serve! You think you have freedom and superiority? You have none! You are the same as me! A lowly servant to a_ monkey _!"_

Mojo continued rant, not noticing Brick was only half listening to him, "Had this been a year ago, you would have torn her to shreds! Well, listen up, boy, you don't serve her! You serve me and I'm telling you she's a nuisance! Do your job and listen to your master!"

" _Tell me, Brick, is it lonely ruling the world with no respect? Because that's what a superiority complex does to a person. You may be at the top, but in reality, you are truly at the bottom."_

"So, no, I'm not bringing that girl back!"

" _You have a friend in me, Brick."_

"Because as far as I'm concerned, she's only made you weak."

Brick's head snapped up at that moment and he scowled at his master. "I am not weak! Stop calling me that! And _she_ has not made me weak!"

Mojo snorted. "Then prove it, my boy. Prove to me you're not weak by forgetting about that weakling."

The leader of the Rowdyruff Boys knew he was stuck between a rock and hard place. If he argued back, then he would just prove Mojo right, that Cammy Anderson had somehow weaseled her way into his life and had become a severe weakness, but if he remained silent, it would be like a slave kowtowing to their master and he wasn't that. He didn't like that. And it would be like proving Cammy right. Either way, he was proving someone else right and he would only be wrong with either choice. It maddened him.

Brick had the urge to throw things around, but found he couldn't. His headache had returned and he was in no mood to argue with Mojo. He just wanted to think. Stiffly, he told the sneering king in front of him, "I am the furthest thing from weak, you fool, and I don't need to prove anything to _you_."

He whirled around to leave, but noticed Princess getting up to follow him. He turned his dark glare on her and coldly said, "Don't follow me, bitch. I never cared for you and I never will – whether or not I had a friendship with Cameron. Go find someone else to suck up to because I'm certainly not going to accept you."

The teenage girl stilled and looked like she wanted to say something, but he didn't care to listen because he stormed out of the room. He just wanted this all to end. He wanted to think. He wanted – _needed_ – to get Cammy back.

 

* * *

 

The girls had searched high and low and had done everything they could to find their sister, but had come up bare. Princess was moving around, looking strangely defeated even though the two girls clearly knew that Blossom's disappearance was her fault. It took all of Buttercup's willpower to not deck the girl every time she saw her.

Bubbles finally managed, hours later, to get Boomer to tell her where they had taken Cammy Anderson. Boomer looked a little hesitant in telling his favorite companion, but after seeing her clenching her fists in worry and knowing she was stressed, he finally told her that they had sent her to Thailand. Why, though, was a mystery to everyone save for Mojo, Princess and Brick (who was stalking around, fluctuating between looking angry or confused). Needless to say, the palace was in a state of craziness.

The biggest surprise was when Mrs. Brown snobbishly told Mrs. Torres, who was looking for her assistant, that Cammy had been sent away. At first, Angela Torres looked perplexed, but when Mrs. Brown started criticizing Blossom in such a derogatory way, Mrs. Torres, surprisingly, hit the other woman before primly saying that it was rude of her to speak in such a way. Mrs. Brown, holding her jaw, was incensed and began spluttering about reporting her to Mojo. Mrs. Torres didn't even flinch, but looked a little relieved when Brick finally yelled at Mrs. Brown to shut up. A silent cheer went up around the palace as Mrs. Brown disappeared into the caverns of her quarters, not returning for a long time.

That small victory did not help Buttercup and Bubbles later on when they returned to the base. Upon telling John, Sara and Sandy the situation when they gathered in the conference room, the adults looked mightily grim and concerned. Buttercup, after telling them, flopped down in her seat. "I say we just go after her."

"No, Buttercup," John shook his head. "That's too risky."

"Too risky? How?"

Ms. Keane sighed heavily and placed a comforting hand on the teenage girl's shoulder. "Let's think about this logically, Buttercup. While we know she's been sent to Thailand, we don't know, exactly, _where_ in the country she is. She could be _anywhere_. We're just fortunate it's not some large nation like China or Russia and that the conditions down there are much better than Siberia."

"I don't care!" hollered Buttercup as she wretched away from her former teacher. "My sister is somewhere in some foreign nation without any one of us to help her! Can you imagine what she's feeling right now? And then to abandon her like that?"

"You forget Blossom is not only your leader and has been trained like you, but she's our resident genius," Ms. Bellum pointed out severely. "She's a smart, creative girl and she'll do whatever she can to get back to us. She knows the circumstances with which she faces. Unfortunately for her, she can't return back to the palace unless Mojo brings her back, which is unlikely. If she were here now, she'd tell you to continue the mission."

Buttercup shot the older woman a scowl, but Bubbles nodded slowly, still looking distressed, but calmed slightly. "She's right, Buttercup. Blossom could've easily broken away from the guards that took her away, but she didn't because she knew it would endanger the mission. It's like with Miyuki. We want to save her, but saving her won't do much unless we can get rid of Mojo's empire."

The dark-haired girl looked a little put out at being outnumbered, but remained quiet when her blonde sister gave her an understanding look. Ms. Keane, noticing that Buttercup seemed to accept the arguments, added, "You girls should continue taking down weapons factories, finding out what Mojo's up to and getting the boys right where you want them."

"Actually," John spoke up for the first time, causing everyone to look at him. "I managed to find out what Mojo has planned."

"What?"

The scientist activated the hologram operator and revealed the satellite with which he told them Mojo was creating. "As we know, Mojo is a megalomaniac with the need to feed his power, but he is also a control freak. We understand that he uses the Rowdyruff Boys to keep the regional lords in control and uses the Antidote X chips in the boys' systems to keep them from rebelling against the him, but what's one factor that Mojo has no control over?"

"The humans," Bubbles answered immediately.

"Excellent, Bubbles," John nodded. "The humans are the one factor that he has no control over. Along with this satellite, Mojo created microchips – very similar to the Antidote X chips in the boys' bloodstream, but more compatible for humans – that attaches to the cells, major arteries and major organs once they enter the bloodstream." He looked grim. "The purpose of these chips is control. Mojo plans to use these chips to regulate the enzyme levels, glucose levels and anything else he wants. Attached to the major organs, he can, quite honestly, kill anyone he wants at any given time."

"That's horrible!" Sandy cried.

"How in the world would he get these chips into a person without them knowing?" Sara asked, her face solemn. "And is what he doing even possible."

"I didn't think so, but after creating the girls and seeing a lab full of primates take over the world because of Chemical X, I'm willing to believe anything at this point," John answered, ignoring the sarcastic snort from Buttercup. "And the way he can have these microchips enter the human body is either through injection or, well, food – especially food that dissolves quickly."

"Like cotton candy."

Everyone glanced at Bubbles, who, by now, looked pale. Buttercup raised her eyebrow. "What do you mean? How do you know this?"

The blonde shook her head. "I noticed him mention cotton candy when I was going through his notes, but I had thought that it was just him getting distracted or thinking about it or something. I didn't think it was important until the Professor mentioned it right now."

Ms. Keane nodded slowly, taking in what the girl said. "Okay, I understand, but Bubbles, sweetheart, why do you look so pale?"

"I ate cotton candy at the carnival."

Silence fell over the room as they stared at Bubbles, who looked positively petrified. John's face contorted in worry when he realized one of his daughters was subjected to Mojo's evil plan. While it had been bad and fearful knowing that the rest of humanity might have those chips in them, it was even worse when he realized that his 'youngest' and most innocent of his three daughters had it in her system. Suddenly it all became clear and John wished that Blossom was here to comfort her sister and to understand the magnitude with what he knew.

"It makes sense," Buttercup breathed sadly as she sank down in her seat, coming to the same realization her other family members had arrived at. "The sudden carnival – something he'd never done before, according to the other slaves – and the free cotton candy that the guards were offering at the entrance. Do you know how many people took that sweet and _ate_ it?"

John rested his hand over his eyes. "The Townsville slaves are his lab rats. He's going to try it out on them before making this worldwide. If he succeeds, nobody will be able to stop him!"

"I want Blossom," mumbled Bubbles, her eyes watering. "I want my sister."

Ms. Keane hurriedly put her arms around the tearing girl. "What are we going to do, John?"

"We find Blossom as soon as possible," he said tiredly. "And we end this. We don't have any more time to delay. We don't know when he's going to launch that satellite, but we have got to hurry and not give him a chance to even _think_ about putting his plan into action. Time is no longer a friendly ally to us."

 

* * *

 

Blossom was exhausted by the time she was hauled off the truck and thrown into the slave quarters of Thailand. She had traveled on several trucks and planes to get here and was treating roughly the entire way. Though she hadn't been damaged by any of the chimpanzee guards' manhandling, she was still mentally exhausted from the day. She had found little time to try and make a break for it as she constantly had escorts near her and she was scared that if she did something out of ordinary, the guards would report her actions to Mojo and he would go looking for Brittany and Amber, her two obvious accomplices.

When she was shoved into her quarters, she looked up and found several people staring at her oddly. They looked up fearfully at the guards, who were snarling and giving them intimidating expressions, and none of them moved. The human slaves all flinched when the guard kicked Blossom, who hissed out of anger. The room was absolutely stilled until the guards slammed the doors closed, upon which the humans began muttering to themselves while several others moved to help Blossom off the floor.

Blossom began examining all the slaves and felt a slight headache from the overwhelming noise of various languages floating in the air. Sometimes it was a pain having super-hearing because moments like this often hurt her. She caught some English, Japanese, Chinese and various other languages she didn't fully recognize and was a little surprised that so many different cultures were gathered in this one tiny room in the middle of Southeast Asia.

Soon, all of them were looking at her, seemingly asking her a question she didn't understand until she heard two people ask the same question in two languages she understood.

" _Sumimasen_ , _daijoubu desu ka_?"

"Hey, you okay?"

" _Hai, hai, daijoubu desu_ ," she answered the Japanese speakers and then switched to English. "I'm fine."

Automatically, everyone began speaking up again. Those that couldn't understand her (or vice versa) began shifting away from her, back to their raggedy bunks while several of the Japanese and English speakers hovered near her. After asking her a series of questions about her health, her audience began dissipating until it was just a brunette boy – obviously a West Coast American, given his accent – and an Asian girl.

The Asian girl gave her a smile. " _Namae wa Kim desu."_

 _Kim? Unusual name for a Japanese person,_ Blossom thought, but said, " _Namae wa Blossom desu._ "

She froze when she realized what she said. The boy and the girl exchanged a glance. Kim inched forward, studying her closely before she breathed out, shocking Blossom with the smooth English, "I thought you looked a little familiar."

"Blossom?" the boy repeated. "As in Blossom _Utonium_?"

 _How…did they know my name?_ was all she could think as she stared at them. Slowly, she nodded and again the two exchanged glances. Quickly, they picked her up off the ground and shuffled her to the back of the dingy cabin, away from prying ears and eyes. Sitting her down on the bed, the boy said, "My name's Mitch. Mitch Mitchellson."

Somewhere in the darkest recesses of her mind, that name sounded familiar to Blossom – like a long forgotten past. "Mitch Mitchellson?"

"Yeah," Mitch nodded. He gestured to Kim. "This is Kim Wong."

"We're former classmates of yours, Blossom," Kim added softly. "We're Ms. Keane's last class of students."

She stared at the two. Finally, an Asian girl in purple overalls and a troublemaker boy with a black shirt that said ' _Mitch Rocks_ ' appeared in the forefront of her mind and all she could do was stare at them in surprise. Several questions flew across her mind, like how they got all the way over here in Thailand, but the first thing that flew out her mouth was, "How come you're speaking Japanese?"

Kim shrugged. "I've been transported from camps all up and down Japan, so it's second nature. I speak Chinese too since I'm been to Chinese camps as well. This is my first time in Thailand." She paused. "Sometimes I slip into Japanese without realizing it. Sorry."

Blossom glanced at Mitch, who said, "I've been all over America, Canada and France. Like Kim, it's my first time here in Thailand too." He nodded in the general direction of the camp's governor's quarters. "They transfer slaves all over the place with no regard about their nationality. There's been a wide influx of slave transfers since the war started. They need workers over here and Mojo feeds Hota Wata and Rocko Socko with the slaves. Personally, I think he's allowing the war to happen because he's hoping both regional lords will kill each other off."

"I wouldn't be surprised," the redheaded girl muttered bitterly.

Kim sat down next to her. "If you don't mind me asking, what are _you_ doing here? I mean…"

"It's okay," Blossom responded. "My sisters and I came back to down to…" She stopped. How was she going to explain this? "…take responsibility for our actions. Something went wrong and I ended up here. My sisters are still in America trying to help." She gave them a serious look. "You both can't breathe a word about this."

Mitch nodded. "Don't worry about it. A couple of years after the invasion, Kim, Mary and I were helping Ms. Keane try and get some of the humans away. Sort of an underground railroad, if you will." He shrugged. "But during one of our attempts to help humans, the three of us got caught and were sent to camps."

"We have no idea if Ms. Keane or Mary are okay," Kim murmured.

"Ms. Keane is fine," answered Blossom quickly, wondering why she was freely sharing information with these two. "We're working with her."

Her two former classmates nodded, relief flooding across their faces. Blossom studied them for a second before she exhaled. "I'm afraid both she and my sisters don't know where I am at the moment and that's going to cause some major problems with my plans to get rid of Mojo and his lackeys." Kim placed a hand on her should and squeeze as a means of apologizing. Blossom smiled at the girl. "But I do know that I can't stay here. I have a mission and job to fulfill and staying in Thailand is not an option."

Mitch raised an eyebrow. "So what are you going to do?"

Blossom smiled deviously. "I'm breaking out of here and I'm taking you with me."


	21. The Breath Before the Plunge

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was, quite honestly, the hardest chapter for me to write because there is so much that has to be communicated in this chapter for the next upcoming six chapters without spoiling what's going to happen next. I've worked on this specific chapter again and again and again, and I hope it meets everyone's expectations. After this we're heading straight for the grand finale of Taking Responsibility. I'm not going to post author's notes until the end, so see you all at the finish line!

Breaking out of a place was a lot harder with two people tagging along as opposed to being by herself. On her third day at the Thailand camp, Blossom had made up her mind that simply breaking out wasn't enough anymore. This camp, she had come to find out, was an essential labor camp that specialized in making weapons for the war that Hota Wata and Rocko Socko engaged in. If she managed to destroy the camp and free the slaves, then it would be a great blow to the foolish war that the primates insisted on having and it would hinder Mojo economically. Two birds with one stone.

She knew that if she actually went through with her plan to destroy the camp, she couldn't resurface. Mojo (and Brick) would definitely know it was her who was behind the trouble. After all, it wouldn't be coincidental that the camp was destroyed only days after her arrival there. But Blossom didn't mind it. In all honesty, she knew that Mojo suspected she wasn't who she said she was. Moreover, she wouldn't be able to return to the palace anymore anyway. Mojo would never call her back to the palace nor would he tell Brick where she was. She had run her course at the palace. It was time she left the surface for good.

The next time she would return to the palace she wouldn't be Cammy Anderson. No, she'd be Blossom Utonium.

So, she waited, watched and bided her time, taking mental notes about where everything and everyone was. She carefully noted when shifts changed with guards and when the workers were left most unattended. Both Mitch and Kim provided her with as much information as they could and neither of them drew attention to themselves or their relationship with her. When they were questioned by others about how they knew her, both of them simply said that the three of them had gone to school and that they simply wanted to help her out. It wasn't a lie…the others simply didn't know they were helping her out in other ways.

While she plotted and planned, Blossom thought momentarily about getting Miyuki out of where she was being kept. During the duration of her stay, she would toss and turn at night about going after her friend. She wanted to so bad help out the Japanese girl, but something (her paranoia maybe?) was keeping her from extending her plan to Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching's residence. What if, she had reasoned, Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching reported seeing her?

 _It's too risky_ , was all she could think.

It was one thing in having Mojo and Brick think she was simply a clever human trying to sabotage Mojo's empire, but it was another if they realized she was the supposedly dead Blossom. It would endanger her sisters. As of right now nobody knew of Miyuki's connection to the girls, so she was safe. As much as it pained Blossom, she eventually decided to wait until Mojo was overthrown before she went after Miyuki.

 _I just hope she can forgive me for making her wait this long_.

Blossom broke out of her thoughts when Kim slid down next to her. The Asian teenager nudged the redhead's arm before handing over a stale, hardened piece of bread. Blossom scrunched her face up, but accepted the scrap of food. While they didn't eat luxurious foods back at the base, it was certainly better than what they were being feed here. The two girls were quiet before Kim murmured, "How's everything going?"

They – Blossom, Kim, and Mitch – never spoke openly about the plan to escape for fear of someone overhearing them. Thus, the three set up a system of communication that was spoken in double meanings. Certain phrases or words that sounded like one thing meant something entirely different.

Blossom cringed as she swallowed the chunk of bread she bit into. "Good, good. I think I'm really getting the hang of things."

_I'm almost done figuring out my plan._

Kim nodded slowly. "I'm glad. Do you need me to teach you anything else?"

_Any more information needed?_

The redhead was quiet for a second. "No."

The two girls fell into a comfortable silence before Kim released a breath. "You know…Mitch and I, we're…happy at how far you've come along." She paused briefly before whispering, "We wish we could help you more."

Blossom turned her attention to Kim. Those words had an underlying meaning, but they were not part of the little system that was used to relay information between each other. The super-powered teen carefully examined the human girl's face before finally understanding what was trying to be conveyed.

_Thank you for helping us…and we're sorry._

"Don't worry about it," murmured Blossom as she smiled softly. "I mean it."

The two girls sat in silence a little longer before Kim sighed heavily. Finally, she stood up and placed a hand on Blossom's shoulder for a moment before going inside. Before she went inside the barracks, Kim called over her shoulder, "Get some rest. You work too hard."

The redheaded girl said nothing as Kim went inside to go to sleep. With her enhanced hearing, the snores from the occupants inside reached her, but it did nothing to lull the anxiety in her mind. She fingered the little bread she had left in her hands before tossing it away from her. A vague part of her registered that she would regret it later, but she didn't care.

Kim's words echoed in her mind for a second. Shaking her head, she said, "It's never enough."

There was always something to be done. Always some plan to be created. Always some problem that needed to be solved. She was smart enough, brilliant enough, to tackle whatever issue was before her, but on nights like this, with no one to talk to, on nights so similar to those haunting days on that God forsaken rock in space, Blossom had to wonder if it was ever enough; if her work was ever enough.

She leaned her head back on the wood wall behind her and stared at the stars above her. Familiar faces flashed through her mind and once again she was brought back to Miyuki, who was waiting for her. She thought of Buttercup and Bubbles, who were no doubt worried about her. She thought of Ms. Bellum and Ms. Keane – one woman who threw the Professor in jail and allowed the condemnation of her sisters, and the other who attempted to treat them like normal little girls, no matter the displays of power she had witnessed. She thought of the Professor.

Blossom had been reflecting back on that day so long ago. She could still hear the screams of the citizens of Townsville as Mojo and his army attacked them. She could still feel the air in her lungs being sucked from her small frame when the Professor doubted them.

 _I should forgive him_ , she thought forlornly. _If I can forgive Ms. Bellum, the real brains behind the Mayor and his campaign to tear us down, then I can forgive the Professor._

Truthfully, if Blossom had been in his place, she might've doubted her creations too. It wasn't that he didn't love them. She could remember the joy and happiness on his face when he spent time with his three little girls. She could remember him telling them that they were special and the town just needed time to adjust. But she also remembered the shock on his face when they flew and used their powers. He had no idea what they were capable of. When he heard that the girls were accused of helping Mojo, which they did do, John Utonium was torn – torn between his fellow townspeople and three little girls he barely knew. He was confused, he was conflicted. _He was human_.

"We're not," she murmured. _We're not human. No matter how much we look like them._

Mojo knew that. And he knew he could use their vulnerability to his advantage. He knew how to use them. And he knew to sell the girls out at the right moment. Blossom squeezed her eyes shut as anger crept up on her. Mojo knew the potential the girls had, what they could do. He knew that given the right motivation, the girls could've easily defeated him right then and there.

"He fears us," she whispered harshly.

That's why he didn't attack John that day. That was why he created the boys. That was why he tried to kill them. Mojo feared them.

Blossom snapped her eyes open. No more. They had wasted enough time. This was the moment that the girls needed to overthrow Mojo. They had destroyed his factories, discovered his plans, and made his greatest creations doubt him. They, the girls, needed to attack now.

Mojo would put up a fight, there was no question. Perhaps he'd call in reinforcements. That was fine. The girls knew how to use their powers. He could send up the satellite. That was a problem, yes, but they could dismantle the weapon. And the boys…

She felt a pang in her chest as she thought of the boys. The three girls worked so hard to distract the boys. Their original mission was to seduce them, make them putty in the girls' hands, but along the way the three girls had wordlessly changed their objective: to make the boys see their wrongs. They were misguided and didn't know about any other choice.

The boys would be hurt – emotionally – if the girls moved in for the attack. They would defend Mojo because that was all they knew and the girls would have to use the polyduranium fibroid to make sure the boys didn't attack. And Brick…Brick would be angry, she knew. The boy had come to trust her and it hurt Blossom to think she'd had to break that trust.

_Do you love him?_

Buttercup had asked her that. She had said no. She would still say no, but she cared about him. She didn't want to hurt him. She didn't want to destroy him and anything good that was coming out in his personality and morals. She didn't want to break that trust. She wanted to protect him. Because she cared, because she was so damn close to loving the boy he was when it was the two of them. He was stubborn, arrogant and an ass, but he was smart and confused and he was vulnerable. Nobody else could see, but she could. She understood him.

This would break him.

And she lied to him.

 _No, Buttercup_ , she thought, _I don't love him because how can I love him when any relationship we'd have would be started with a lie?_

But…she couldn't let the world stay in danger for him. So, it would hurt him. He would hate her. But she would protect him as best as she could by keeping him out of the fight and then protecting him from the people that would want harm to come to him. Because she'd been there and she knew the boy he was and knew that boy needed protecting.

"It's time," she said to no one as she got up and moved inside.

 

* * *

 

She hadn't spoken to him in so long. She had been avoiding him.

 _Knowing smiles_ , _strange reflexes, secrecy._

He was no stranger to those concepts, those abilities. Mojo always had a knowing smile, Butch always had strange (but great) reflexes, and Brick was always shrouded in secrecy (especially in recent months). But coming from Amber, it was different.

Boomer knew something was up. Things around him were shifting, changing, and he didn't know what it was. Butch had no clue that something was up. Mojo knew somebody was fighting against him. Brick knew something, something vital, but his brother wasn't speaking about it. And Amber…she knew something too, but wasn't directly sharing the information she knew.

He needed answers. He needed them now. He had never been one to pursue answers like Brick had, but Boomer needed the answers.

So when he spotted Amber, he moved in quickly towards her. He was quiet – no one would be able to hear him – and it pegged him as strange when her head twitched as if she heard something, but stopped herself from turning around. He was thankful because it made him grabbing her so much easier.

She didn't scream when he clamped his hand over her mouth. She didn't fight back when he dragged her into an empty room. In fact, she didn't even look at him in shock when he turned her around to face him. Her facial expression remained neutral as he said, _demanded_ , "Tell me what you know."

"I don't know what you're talking about," she said innocently when he removed his hand.

But she wasn't innocent. Something told him she wasn't innocent. He sighed heavily and rubbed his eyes. Nothing made sense. "Yes, you do."

"No, I don't."

"Amber!" he hissed. "I know you know something. I don't know how I know, but I do."

She said nothing for a second before she quietly whispered, "Boomer, I don't know what you're talking about."

She looked confused and maybe she should be. They had been talking about forgiveness and the good and bad about humanity. They had been on good terms. He never once breathed his suspicions about her whenever they met up, but now he had to. It was too much now.

He shook his head. "Amber, I can feel everything shifting. Ever since Cammy left, things have changed. You're tense. Brittany's more alert. _What's happening_?" Again, she said nothing. "I haven't spoken with anyone about what I think. Brick, Butch, Mojo – none of them know."

Conflict caused Amber's face to scrunch up. Boomer could literally see the various thoughts flashing through her mind before she murmured, "I know nothing." Her eyes flashed towards his and held them as if she _was_ trying to tell him something. "But even if I did, I wouldn't tell you. I…I can't tell you."

The look on her face was suddenly enough. Yes, something was up and she knew what it was. But she couldn't tell him. Frowning, he softly said, "Things are going to change and there's nothing I can do, is there?"

She shook her head. "Change will always happen. There's nothing any of us can do about that. You can only accept it."

It was a strange conversation – the strangest one he had ever had. Cammy being forced to leave was the beginning of whatever standstill the world had been in. Change was going to happen – and it wouldn't be good for Mojo, he knew – and there was nothing he could do but accept it, as Amber said.

Cammy was an important figure. He suddenly got the feeling that Brick's former assistant was more than what she let on. That Amber and Brittany were too. As he stared at the dark-haired maid that he had come to care about, a flash of blonde appeared in his mind's eye. Everything, at that moment, fell into place.

He released a breath before he glanced at Amber – if that was even her real name. He leaned down and gently, lightly kissed her on the lips. It was the kiss of life and death. She gasped at the contact but before she could react he pulled away. Giving her a sad smile, he whispered, "I think I know what's happening, and I'm going to do nothing. I'm not standing in your way. You do what you need to do. To help the people you need to help. Be who you need to be."

And with that, he walked away.

 

* * *

 

No word from Blossom.

That painful thought remained plastered on the walls of her mind. Even as she played video games and hung out with Butch, her mind could not get away from the fact that she had not heard a thing from her sister, her leader. Buttercup tried paying attention to what was going on around her, but the dark-haired teen was stressed out. Being the pseudo-leader for the team was hard and donning a red-haired wig was doing nothing for her nerves because she was constantly reminded of the painful absence of Leader Girl.

Buttercup used to think that Blossom overreacted and that being the leader was easy, but after her short trial of leadership, the emerald-eyed girl was willing to take back every negative thought she directed towards Blossom if it meant getting her sister back safe and sound.

John had reassured her that Blossom was alright and although she was still mad at her creator, Professor Utonium's words and warm, comforting tone was something that Buttercup was seeking more and more. Ms. Keane, also, provided comfort, though it bothered Buttercup that only her father seemed to provide any semblance of stability that had been severely lacking ever since Wayne told her that Blossom was in trouble.

Bubbles, of course, did nothing to help. Between sobbing about how she wanted her sister and freaking out about the mini-robots in her body, Buttercup was ready to snap the blonde girl in half. The only thing that kept her sane and Bubbles in one piece was Blossom's voice in her head chiding her for her lack of patience.

 _Come home soon, Leader Girl_ , Buttercup thought tiredly. _I don't know how much more I can take._

"Hey, Brittany, you okay?"

Buttercup jumped and remembered that she should be paying attention to the teenage boy (and the deck of cards) in front of her. When she glanced at Butch, she noticed genuine concern in his eyes. Though he was wild, rough, and irritating, Butch was proving to be deeper than what she had originally given him credit for. His womanizing skills were still bad, yes, but they had lessened considerably ever since she bit his head off and earned his respect. And moments like this when he was worried for her endeared her to the boy more than she cared to admit.

"Yeah, Butch, I'm fine," she grumbled as she shook her head and looked down at her cards.

He snorted. "Bullshit. I know you're not okay."

For a brief moment Buttercup considered telling him a more colorful version of 'screw you', but bit back the harsh words because she realized that that was his way of saying that he didn't believe her and that it was okay to not _be_ okay or tough in front of him.

Again, it unnerved her that she felt this level of comfort with the one boy that she used to want to strangle to death.

Butch, realizing that Buttercup ( _Brittany_ , as he knew her) was not going to speak, quietly said, "I know Cammy's removal is bothering you. I get the fact that you, Amber and Cammy are close. Like sisters, you know?"

A part of her, the Blossom half of her, realized she should panic about the fact that Butch recognized the level of connection the three girls shared, but she also knew that Butch was not Brick and Butch was simply making an innocent observation. So, instead of snapping at him, she grumbled, "Yeah, we are. We're all each other have."

Blossom once told her the best lies were the ones with a grain of truth in them. Well, she was telling the truth when she said that Blossom and Bubbles were all that she had and vice versa. Though, lately, Buttercup was starting to think otherwise. John was steadily becoming an important fixture in her life.

Her counterpart nodded. "I did some research. You can't tell Brick or anyone else. This stays between us otherwise I'm kicking your ass, _comprende_?"

Again, despite the harsh words, Buttercup recognized the worry Butch had for her getting into trouble. "Yeah, I got it."

"Cammy's in Thailand." This, Buttercup knew. "On the outskirts of Bangkok."

This, Buttercup didn't know. Her eyes widened as she realized just how much not only she, but _Butch_ , could get into trouble for knowing that. She could only imagine the amount of difficulty he went through to get that information. Finally, finally, _finally,_ Buttercup had an idea of where her sister was. It was a tremendous amount of relief to know where her sister was. She was torn between screaming in joy and crying, both of which would've severely been out of character for her.

So, imagine her surprise when she leaned across the table and kissed Butch on the cheek. Butch blinked in astonishment at the same time Buttercup did. Neither of them was expecting that. Turning away from him so he wouldn't see her face flush, she grumbled, "Thanks, Butch. You have no idea how grateful I am."

He shrugged, also not looking at her. "Yeah, well, it's what best friends do for each other."

She still didn't look at him when he said those words and she felt like a complete girl for letting her heart melt. That was probably the mushiest thing he ever said to her. And she had to let him know that. "You're such a girl."

"Shut up. You know you love me."

Damn that boy. Betraying him, now that he called her his best friend, was going to painful.

 

* * *

 

"The hills."

Blossom raised an eyebrow. "The hills? That's it?"

Mitch shot his former classmate an irritated look. "You have a better idea?"

The redheaded girl said nothing as she cast Kim a sidelong glance to see what the Asian girl thought. Kim sighed heavily. The three of them had been discussing the finer points of Blossom's plan. While the super-powered teen had pretty much completed a plan, there were still some things that she was not sure about. For one, where the three of them were going to take the other inmates once they broke out of the prison.

Originally, Blossom was going to simply break out by herself and take Kim and Mitch with her, but Kim had adamantly refused to leave when she knew that others were being left behind. Blossom attempted to explain to Kim that causing a mass prison breakout would be much more difficult, risky and time-consuming, but Kim (and Mitch, eventually) refused to go along with Blossom if it meant the other inmates stayed.

Blossom was tempted to leave her two former classmates to their own devices and leave without them. It certainly would've been easier for her and less stressful, but two things had convinced her to go along with a mass breakout: one, the guilt that Miyuki was locked up somewhere forced her to comply with Kim and Mitch as she didn't want their imprisonment added to the guilt already there, and two, Blossom could take this opportunity to destroy another factory.

Destroying factories was hard on the girls as it was hard to break free from the boys. While it had been easy to shut down various important systems and scramble information from the inside, doing work on the outside for extended periods of time was straining on the three girls. The only small comfort they had was that Hayato and Setsuko were calming the various rebellions around the globe down, and John, Sandy and Sara were intercepting messages as best as they could. So, taking this small chance to destroy a factory and distract Mojo with finding her would hopefully help her sisters back home.

"I can't come up with anything," Kim said with a heavy sigh, leaning back against the poorly constructed barracks and deeply breathing in the night air.

The three teens had been actively discussing where the three were going to lead the humans and the best they could come up with was, as Mitch pointed out, the hills. Blossom did not like that suggestion. "I don't like it. The guards can possibly find you."

"Not necessarily," Mitch retorted.

Kim shot Mitch a careful look at his words before a grin broke out on his face. Blossom, seeing this, was confused, thus prompting Kim to explain. "Remember how we used to work that underground railroad system?"

Blossom nodded. "Yeah, I do."

Kim's grin widened even further. "Typically speaking, the underground passageways were always near camps in hopes of finding escapees and leading them to safety. The hills just beyond would be an ideal spot for Freedom Workers to create passages."

"Freedom Workers?"

Mitch shrugged. "That's what we called ourselves. It started as a joint effort between the English speaking countries and expanded to the other countries."

Blossom furrowed her brows in concentration. For a brief moment, the three were silent. Finally, the redheaded girl said, "If I can get you to those tunnels, can you see if there are passageways?"

Kim nodded. "Sure."

Blossom stood up. "Mitch, stay here and make sure no one comes out. It's bad enough we're going to have to tell everyone that we're going to break out in a couple of days. I don't need anyone seeing what I'm about to do. Kim, you stay right here until I come get you."

Both Kim and Mitch exchanged perplexed glances, but followed Blossom as she moved into the shadows of the barracks so she was out of sight of the guards standing around the fence. They watched as she pushed herself into the air, looked in the direction of the hills before spinning her body so fast that they could no longer see her body properly. Their eyes widened even further as the small whirlwind that Blossom created plunged into the earth. The ground rumbled briefly as Blossom disappeared into the dirt, creating a small tunnel in her path.

Kim shook her head slowly. "Wow."

"Seriously," Mitch agreed. "That's amazing."

"Mitch," the girl said suddenly, pushing her classmate in the direction of the barracks entrance. "Go inside and do as Blossom says!"

"Stop pushing me, woman!" he complained as he moved away from them.

Kim was quiet as she waited to hear the door close. Seconds after hearing the front entrance to their barracks quietly shut, Blossom suddenly appeared next to her and breathed out, "Ready?"

The Chinese-American teenager gasped, startled, before she replied, "Yeah."

Blossom nodded, grabbed her friend's hand, and led her into the tunnel. As soon as they were in far enough, the redheaded teen whispered, "I'm going to carry you now, okay? It's faster if I fly us there. You'd be surprised at what I found at the end of the tunnel."

"Why? What'd you–whoa!"

Without warning, Blossom tugged her friend into her arms and took off a breakneck speed down the tunnel. It took all of Kim's willpower not to scream from the speed and the darkness, the only light coming from Blossom's pink streak. In a matter of seconds, the two girls flew out of the tunnel and into a larger passageway, constructed from wood and rock.

Landing on the ground and placing Kim on her feet, Blossom asked, "Is this what you were talking about?"

Kim nodded as she examined the passageway. "This is exactly it."

Blossom pointed further down the tunnel. "If you keep following it, it takes you to a place that is extremely far away from the prison. You and Mitch are going to have to lead everyone there."

Kim shot her friend a shocked look. "What do you mean 'Mitch and I'? Aren't you coming with us?"

The super-powered teen shook her head. "No. While you and Mitch get everyone out, I'm going to be causing chaos back at the prison before I close up the tunnel behind you."

"But –"

"Kim, I can't come with you. I have to get back to my sisters," Blossom explained carefully and slowly. "We have a mission to complete. I've already risked enough by staying as long as I have. I have to get back to them and stop Mojo for good."

Kim's face twisted into worry and sadness for a moment before she straightened her back and literally put on a brave face. "I'm upset you can't come with us, but I understand. You have things to do." She grasped Blossom's hands. "I am grateful, though, that you're doing this for everyone."

Blossom smiled. "It's no problem. C'mon, let's get back before Mitch starts to worry and someone notices that hole in the ground."

 

* * *

 

One week and Brick had barely spoken a word to him. Worse yet, the boy had not done any research about whoever was behind the espionage on his kingdom. Mojo narrowed his eyes and frowned deeply. This was troubling. He had given Brick enough time to investigate and discover the culprits, but the boy had done next to nothing. All this time, an unnecessary amount of time, was spent doing nothing.

Mojo had finally had it. Something that should've been solved weeks – _months_ – ago was taking too long. So can he be blamed for impatience as he watched various bounty hunters file into his office? While there were various primate bounty hunters, there were also human bounty hunters in the mix. These human bounty hunters were able to stay out of slavery by hunting down their own kind and placing them into the lifetime servitude that they all tried avoiding. It was cruel, but using their desperation for freedom was the perfect motivation for the human bounty hunters to betray mankind.

Specific human bounty hunters, though, caught his attention and nearly caused him to cruelly smile. His eyes immediately sought out a curvaceous female bounty hunter. Her hair snapped wildly as her pale skin glowed in the gloomy lighting and her green eyes observed and calculated her surroundings.

Johanna Turner – more commonly known as _Sedusa_ – was exactly the type of person he wanted for this job. Sedusa was manipulative, cunning, and cutthroat. She had no mercy for her prey, as she called them, and was relentless. Sedusa would, more than likely, complete the job the fastest and most efficiently.

His eyes moved towards the next bounty hunter, another female. Her blonde hair was tied up as she examined her fingernails. Every now and then her eyes would flicker up towards a man that attempted to spoke to her before her face scrunched up in disgust. The female gender symbol hanging around her neck was a clear indication of her disdain for males. Andrea Bell was another cutthroat and would work relentlessly to get the job done. While he had more confidence in Sedusa, _Femme Fatale_ , as Andrea called herself, was another Mojo could depend on.

Once everyone had been filed in, Mojo motioned for Wayne to close the door and then addressed the crowd before him. "Welcome brothers and friends."

His opening statement caused everyone to turn their attention to Mojo (while Femme Fatale muttered " _sexist_ _monkey_!" underneath her breath). This time Mojo did grin.

"I am pleased so many of you have shown up. I have a job for all of you. You see, someone has been messing with my systems and causing problems for me. I need them found. I don't care how you find them, just bring them in. I will pay all of you handsomely if you find the culprits," Mojo explained, loving the looks of bloodthirsty glee being warped on the bounty hunters' faces. Allowing his sharp teeth to show in exuberance, Mojo grabbed a picture from his desk and handed it to one of the bounty hunters. The picture was a satellite shot of Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup. As the picture was passed down the line, he said, "I will pay great money to those who bring me these three girls. Even greater if they are dead."

The bounty hunters chuckled maliciously to themselves at the prospect of money, nearly causing Mojo to laugh. Greed was a wonderful thing to use to his advantage. As he dismissed the bounty hunters and unleashed them upon the world, he didn't fail to notice the cruel smirk on Sedusa's lips nor the expression of hate directed towards him by Femme Fatale.

Oh, yes, Brick may have failed him, but he had confidence that Sedusa, Femme Fatale, and Princess Morbucks (who already started her search) would not. He glanced down at his plans. "Three more days until my precious satellite launches and then human race will fully be mine."

 

* * *

 

Ms. Bellum sat in the control room, mindlessly going through the files. She was on high alert and searching for any messages that Blossom could possibly send – though it was rather unlikely that, if she were to send a message, it would be electronically. She doubted Blossom would risk using an unsecured computer. Regardless, Sara was sure Blossom didn't have access to a computer.

Just as Ms. Bellum was ready to get up and relieve herself from her post, the computer _'pinged'_ and a message popped up. Furrowing her eyebrows, she quickly read the message, her eyes widening with each word.

_Satellite to launch in three days. Time has run out._

– _W_

She stood up abruptly and rushed out of the room. She had to notify John and the girls.

 

* * *

 

Princess was annoying. Oh, she had been annoying prior to his meeting Cammy, but she was even more annoying now that she thought she had a chance. She didn't take a hint. Didn't his callous words when he found out that Cammy had been reassigned elsewhere have any affect on this annoying girl? He could've sworn he told her that he didn't like her – never would, in fact. She must be hard of hearing, he decided. Either that, or she had selective hearing and was just too damn stubborn to leave him alone. Brave of the girl to keep pestering him – especially since he less than a centimeter away from losing his temper and snapping her in half.

Brick rubbed his left temple. He had gone soft. He would've snapped Princess in half several months ago before she even opened her mouth. Now he was putting up with her incessant chatter and only _contemplating_ about all the damage he could do to her. Damn, Cammy made him soft. Maybe Mojo was right.

No, no, Mojo wasn't right. Mojo was never right.

Brick was relieved when he came up to his room. Quickly escaping into his personal sanctuary, he slammed the door on Princess's face, not caring if she hurt herself or if his actions seemed rude. He was just glad to be away from all her talking.

His head was pounding from his irritation with Princess and the stress he had felt for the past week. As he sat down at his computer, he had a strong sense of déjà vu and had to remember that this time Cammy was not going to come waltzing through his door. He squeezed his eyes shut as he reflected back on the kiss the two shared. It was innocent and not long, but it was enough to make Brick feel out of whack, but also very guilty.

_If I hadn't gotten close to her, she wouldn't be where she is._

Had this been a year ago, Brick would've blamed Cammy for his weakness. But he knew that he had a choice in whether or not he allowed her into his life. He cared for her too much and he couldn't protect her when it mattered most. Now she was suffering the consequences for his actions.

He opened his eyes and stared at his desktop. Slowly, cautiously, Brick turned opened up the files that allowed him to search through the slave database. As if in autopilot, he brought up three files: Amber Smith, Brittany Wilson, and Cameron Anderson. He could see the links to the three profiles, but before he could click on their names and see their information, something stopped him.

His finger hovered over the mouse, internally debating whether or not he should look at their information. While his duty was telling him to investigate the three girls, his mind was telling him otherwise. If he looked at their information and saw inaccurate information or something that proved Cammy, Amber, and Brittany weren't who they said they were, then that caused a number of problems for Brick. He couldn't do it. He couldn't look and see if he was wrong because if he was that meant that Mojo was right and he had been fooled along by the teenager girl he allowed into his life. He didn't want to know if he was wrong.

They say ignorance is bliss and Brick used to think that the fool that chose to remain ignorant deserved his comeuppance. Though he still believed it, he now knew why people chose to turn a blind eye at certain things. He couldn't look at their information, at _Cammy's_ information. He couldn't look and prove whether Mojo was right or wrong. He didn't want to. He wanted to remain believing that Cammy was who she said she was and that she was innocent this whole time.

Shaking his head, Brick sealed his fate by highlighting the three names. He stared at the 'delete' button on his keyboard for some time before he closed his eyes and pressed it. His eyes snapped open the moment the 'delete' button was pushed and watched as the computer erased any information on Amber Smith, Brittany Wilson and, more importantly, Cammy Anderson.

Yes, ignorance was bliss.

 

* * *

 

"No, Buttercup."

"What do you mean ' _no'_?"

John sighed heavily. "Buttercup, I already said it was too much of a risk!"

The dark-haired girl grit her teeth and looked murderous. Beside her, Bubbles was murmuring to her sister, trying to keep her calm. It wasn't working. "What do you mean it's too much of a risk? We know she's on the outskirts of Bangkok! Can't we just go find her and bring her home?"

"Buttercup, sweetie," Ms. Keane interjected softly, attempting to diffuse the situation. "Your father is right. It's too risky. Believe me, sweetheart, when I say he wants Blossom home just as much as you, but we can't risk having you and Bubbles potentially exposing yourself to save her. Do you know how it's going to look if we find her so short after Butch told you where she is?"

"Damn it!" yelled Buttercup. "I don't care! I want her home!"

John had been temporarily distracted by the fact that his most hotheaded daughter had not objected to Sandy calling him her father. However, he quickly returned to reality when Buttercup yelled so loud that it felt like the conference room shook. Sighing once more, he went up to her and grasped her by her arms, forcing her to look at him. "Buttercup, you may not trust me and you may still be angry with me, but believe me when I say _we are going to get Blossom back_."

Silence befell the room as Buttercup stared at her father. Her jaw repeatedly clenched and unclenched as his words were tossed around in his head. After what seemed like an eternity, Bubbles, next to her, murmured, "I believe you, Professor. I believe you… _Dad_."

John desperately wanted to break down at Bubbles' acknowledgement of his role in her life, but remained strong as he continued looking at Buttercup. He was shocked when Buttercup heaved back a breath and glanced down at the ground. Her body shook and it took Professor Utonium a second to realize that she was crying. He face twisted into one of sympathy and pain as he drew his daughter into his arms. "Oh, sweetie, it's okay."

Buttercup continued to cry in her father's arms as she wrapped her arms around him as tightly as his body would allow her. "Promise me we'll get her back."

A fierce sense of paternal protection flared through him as he hugged her. Slowly, he drew his blonde daughter into his arms and tightly embraced them both. Kissing them both on their heads, he passionately whispered, "We'll get her back, girls. I promise."

Ms. Keane quietly cried as she watched the scene before her. She knew John had desperately wanted the girls to trust him and love him as they once had. And so as Buttercup and Bubbles finally allowed their father back into their lives, Sandy placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed it. All John did as he hugged two of his three girls was smile back at her.

 

* * *

 

Blossom looked up from the delicate weapon and its various pieces that she was putting together and eyed the foreman, who was walking around, critically eyeing everyone and scowling at anyone that he didn't seem to particularly like. Her eyes flickered over to where Mitch was standing and he barely nodded at her when their eyes met. Next to her, Kim was working diligently, though her body was tense like a cat ready to spring up and catch its prey. Blossom looked back up to where the foreman was again and found him inching his way closer to her and Kim. When he was close enough, she sprung into action.

With a quick move, she scratched her left ear and the commotion began. With a practiced ease, both Blossom and Kim dropped their weapons, scattering parts everywhere. The small, circular pieces of the weapon clattered to the floor and workers were walking by slipped on them, causing the objects that were in their hands to fly into the air. A loud ' _smack_ ' echoed across the warehouse, startling others and forcing them to drop what they were doing.

Production immediately halted as people were scared out of their concentration, and squeaks and squeals broke the tense silence. At the cries of the workers around them, the foreman, his sneer worsening, watched as the assembly lines broke into chaos and noise cluttered the air. Over the endless babbling of the workers, Mitch raised his voice and shouted, "Grenades! Someone dropped grenades!"

This caused even further chaos as people panicked. The foreman, to his credit, kept calm and shouted over them, "Enough! ENOUGH! CALM DOWN, YOU STUPID PEOPLE!"

The yells of their boss forced some semblance of order as they looked at the speaking foreman. "Evacuate to your barracks now! You will stay there until we call you back in!"

Instantaneously, people began filing out of the room, nervously looking around for the supposed grenades on the floor. Kim, clutching Blossom's hand, lashed out a hand towards Mitch, who grabbed on to the Chinese-American girl's hand. As the three walked through the crowd, knowing that there was no such grenades on the floor, Blossom murmured to them, "Good work, Mitch. I'll see you both at the end."

Without any words from them, the redheaded girl slipped away from the crowd, making sure she wasn't seen by the foreman or the guards leading the slaves away from the workhouse. She quickly clamored over to the factory was that churning hot metal for some of the weapons and slipped inside. There were only two guards inside. Though a mistake for the regional lord, it was advantage for Blossom as she grabbed the first guard and knocked him out.

As she dragged away the unconscious guard into the dark, she made enough noise to grab the attention of the second guard. She waited in the darkness for the second guard to come and investigate, and when he did, she pounced on him so fast, he didn't know what happened as his eyes fell shut.

With the guards disabled, Blossom floated into the air and examined the mechanics of the factory. Finding it weakest spot, she used her eye beams to zap at the screws and bolts that held up some heated metal. The bowl holding the metal snapped from where it was and came crashing down on the metal blow it, the collision creating a miniature explosion.

Outside, Blossom could hear guards speaking quickly to each other as they came to investigate the noise. She watched from the air as the liquidated metal and fire inched its way closer to some gun powder that was carelessly stored in factory. Satisfied when she saw that the fire was only inches from the powder, she exited the factory and fly to a spot just behind the workhouse.

As she slipped into the last of the masses of slaves, she didn't flinch when the factory exploded. The slaves screeched in fear at the explosion and the few guards there tried to keep them in order as they shoved them into their barracks before they ran off in the direction of the factory, where another explosion occurred.

Blossom looked through a dirty window. As she watched guards scramble in the direction of the fires, Kim and Mitch came up to her, wearing matching focused expressions. When the super-powered teen was satisfied that all the guards were nowhere near the slave quarters, she whispered to them, "Go!"

"Alright, people!" Kim murmured, catching the other slaves' attention. "Time to go!"

Mitch opened up the door and said over his shoulder, "First group, go!"

As was part of the plan they discussed with the slaves the previous night, the first batch of slaves moved quickly and quietly out of the barracks, following Mitch to the hole Blossom created that led to the hill underground passageways. When Mitch returned with no slaves, Kim said, "Second group, follow me!"

The second batch followed Kim outside as Blossom moved away from the window, towards the door. As she passed by Mitch, she clapped him on the shoulder before slipping out and moving towards the workhouse again. As she approached the workhouse, she noticed that several guards were backing away from the factory towards the slave quarters. Thinking quickly, Blossom used her eyebeams once again to destroy the workhouse, forcing another explosion into the air.

She moved away from the workhouse when she noticed the guards that were heading towards the slave quarters move towards the workhouse, looking panicked and flustered. Blossom smiled when she knew that the burning factory and workhouse would keep the guards busy.

She kept a sharp out eye on both buildings, causing small explosions when the fires seemed to start dying out, for a good ten minutes, giving Mitch and Kim enough time to get out the numerous slaves from the barracks into the underground passageways.

When twenty minutes had passed since the start of the escape, Blossom moved towards the nearby Governor's house and blew it up as insurance, shifting the attention of the guards once again. Satisfied that the guards were sufficiently occupied, the redheaded girl retreated to the barracks were Mitch and Kim were leading the last to the slaves into the tunnels. Seeing that they were done and that Blossom was back, the three teens met up at the entrance of the tunnels.

"Thank you, Blossom," Mitch said. "For getting us out, for helping everyone – everything."

Blossom grabbed both of their forearms, smiling at them. "It's no problem. You both stay safe."

Kim returned her smile with one of her own, tears building up in her eyes. "We will, Blossom. You stay safe too." She inhaled a shaky breath. "I wish you could come, but I understand that you have things to do."

Mitch gripped Blossom's arm tightly, though the redhead didn't feel it. With a solemn expression on his face, he said, "You give our regards to Mojo, okay?"

The super-powered teen hugged them both. "I promise, I will. Now go. Quickly, before they come."

Nodding their thanks one last time, both Mitch and Kim disappeared into the tunnels to lead the slaves away from the camp and into safety. As soon as they were out of sight, Blossom used her superpowers to drag up enough dirt and mud to close up the hole she created a couple of days prior. Before she left, she made sure the dirt covering the hole blended in with the ground surrounding it before taking off, heading in the direction of the base, leaving behind her classmates, the shouting guards, the burning buildings, and the Thailand camp.

 

* * *

 

Though Blossom could've arrived at the American base in a matter of seconds, she made sure she moved slow enough to not attract attention. So, it had been a couple of hours of flight when she arrived at the underground base in the United States. Her home was dimmed and quiet when she breathed in the artificial oxygen in the air and it had never been more welcome than it had been at that moment.

She took a moment to realize that she was, in fact, home before she forced her tired body to move down the familiar passageways of the base. She had considered going to her sisters or the Professor, but found that her body was taking her in the direction of her room instead and decided to let everyone know she was back after she got a couple of hours of sleep.

Just when she reached her doorknob, she heard a familiar squeal of "BLOSSOM!" before someone collided with her body. Having little strength to hold herself up, Blossom and the person went tumbling down to the ground.

"Oh, Blossom!" the person, Bubbles, said. "I was so worried. I'm so glad you're home! So, so glad! Do you have anything how glad I am? Because I am _very_ glad! Oh, Blossom!"

"Let me breathe, Bubbles!" rasped out Blossom from the tight hug her sister was giving her.

The blonde, realizing how tightly she was holding her leader, gasped and pulled away. "Oh, I'm sorry. It's just, you have no idea how much I missed you."

"I can imagine, believe me," the redhead sardonically said, sitting up.

"What's going on?" a newcomer asked before a gasp rang out across the hallway. "LEADER GIRL!"

Just as Blossom recovered from the impact of Bubbles' body, she felt her body collide with Buttercup's as the dark-haired girl uncharacteristically hugged her sister. Bubbles, from where she was sitting next to the 'older' girl, jumped into the hug, forming a group hug from with her sisters and teammates. As they piled on top of her, Blossom gasped out, "AIR! I need _air_!"

As the two emotionally drained girls pulled away from the one person they had been longing to see since her disappearance, they could hear John Utonium's relieved voice say, "Blossom, it's good to see you."

"Are you going to jump on top of me too?" Blossom sarcastically asked as she shot her sisters' a teasing look, who blushed in response.

John chuckled as he offered his hand to the girl. "No, I'm afraid not." She accepted his hand and was surprised when he tugged her into a hug. "I am, however, going to say that I so very relieved to know you're safe."

The redheaded remained in her father's arms, shocked that he was hugging her. Her eyes sought out her sisters, who merely smiled at the two. She stared at them for a moment before she realized that neither were bothered about the hug – Buttercup, especially. Realizing, at that moment, that the two had forgiven their father, she relaxed her body and hugged him back. "Thanks. Glad to be home."

Behind him, Sara and Sandy approached the family and grinned at the sight before him. They grinned even further when Buttercup and Bubbles joined in on the hug. The two women let the Utoniums have their moment before Sara cleared her throat. "I hate to break up such a precious moment, but Blossom, we have much to talk about."

The four pulled away to let Blossom see the mayor's assistant, who was looking grim. Breaking away from her family persona, she slipped into the role of the leader once more. "Let's head to the conference room, and then you can tell me everything."

Nodding in agreement, the group of six quickly moved into the conference room where the story exchanges began. Sandy looked overtly joyous when Blossom told her that Mitch and Kim were alive and safe. For a moment, as Blossom relayed the story of her destroying the camp, the redhead thought that her family and the two women wouldn't be pleased, but the story actually caused the others to relay to her all the information she missed – including when the satellite going to be launched.

"Tomorrow?" breathed the redhead. "It's launching tomorrow?"

John nodded. "Wayne sent us a message two days ago."

"We were afraid, Blossom," Ms. Keane interjected, "that you wouldn't show up in time."

Blossom nodded absentmindedly, her mind racing over the information she learned and forming new plans. As she thought, she mumbled, "It's a good thing, then, that I left when I did and that Bubbles found me when she did. I would've come to you tomorrow instead of now."

"But you're here now," Buttercup added. "That's what matters."

"Thankfully," agreed Bubbles. She glanced towards her dark-haired sister. "Buttercup was just about ready to go get you herself. Only Dad stopped her from going, saying that you could get out yourself and that you wouldn't want us risking anything."

Blossom vaguely registered that her sister called the Professor 'Dad', but didn't say anything about it. Rather, her eyes came into focus as she stared at the blonde. "And you have those mini-robots in you?"

Ms. Bellum nodded. "She does."

The leader of the trio of girls was going to push back the attack date to another week, but when she heard that Bubbles was also in danger of being subjected to Mojo's plans, that changed everything. She couldn't put humanity through that torture, much less her sister. They had to move and they had to move now. Glancing up, she said, "We're moving out tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?"

Blossom nodded. "Yes, especially with the information that Mojo is going to launch that satellite and Bubbles being in danger."

Everyone in the conference room exchanged loaded looks. This was the moment that they had been waiting for since the moment that they knew Mojo needed to be taken down. A lot was riding on this battle. The freedom of the human race, for one, and the girls' redemption, for another, was riding on the girls winning against Mojo. It was a lot to shoulder, but the girls weren't thinking about that. They were thinking about how they were finally going to get back at Mojo for accusing them of something they were manipulated into.

"The boys," Bubbles murmured quietly. "What are we going to do about them?"

Bubbles knew that Boomer was not going to be a problem. He already said that he was going to step aside and let the girls do what they needed to do. Of course, her sisters didn't know that. They were probably thinking Boomer was going to give them the same amount of problems that his brothers would.

Buttercup looked down at her hands. She may have hated Butch when she first started this mission, but now she didn't. Butch had become one of her good friends and she truly enjoyed spending time with him. She knew that once her identity was revealed, one of two things could happen. He would either become very angry with her, attack, and never speak to her again. Or he would understand, but still not be happy about the fact that she lied to him.

Blossom, for her part, returned to the agonizing prospect that Brick was going to hate her, which, of course, upset her. She shouldn't be worried about hurting him. However, that feeling of needing to protect him attacked her once again and she felt nauseous about what she was going to do. She couldn't, though, forsake the world for him. So, no matter how sick she felt, she knew what she needed to do. Kiss or no, Brick would have to accept that she was not Cammy Anderson, but his counterpart.

"We use the polyduranium fibroid," she replied to her sister's question. "We keep them out of the way."

"What time are you beginning the conclusion to Operation ABC?" John asked solemnly, not commenting about the various emotions that were splayed across his daughters' faces when Bubbles brought up the subject of the boys.

Blossom frowned. "Mojo leaves the palace at six in the evening tomorrow." She made eye contact with everyone in the room. "We conclude Operation ABC tomorrow at seven in the evening."


	22. Fireworks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "We have to fix the problem we helped start. You said to give everyone a little time to understand our specialness. Well now it's time for everyone to understand. Especially Mojo!"  
> –Blossom, The Powerpuff Girls Movie

When a person watches the minutes passing by in anticipation for a specific hour or minute, time passes by quite slowly. They watch as the seconds roll by agonizingly slow, their eyes never leaving the clock that they're glued to. They're driven mad while they wait for that magic number to appear. Anxiety overcomes them and the ticking of the clock can become a nuisance very quickly instead of a background noise. This is the way to slow down time.

This was not the case for the Utoniums and their friends.

Blossom, for a majority of the night, lay in her bed, staring at the bright neon red numbers on her digital clock, watching the minutes pass by. She didn't think she could sleep as her apprehension for the completion of Operation ABC was just around the corner. While a large part of her was excited to end this entire operation and put a stop to Mojo, another part of her was very scared about what was going to happen. She had hoped that watching the clock would slow down the minutes like it had before, but it seemed that time had another plan. Instead, it seemed to speed by.

She had tried not to sleep. Every time she closed her eyes, she could see Brick's face and the expression he would carry when he found out who she really was. She could see the anger etched across his handsome features and that would force her eyes to snap open from fear. However, her plan to not sleep didn't work. By trying not to fall asleep and staring at the glowing red numbers, she had accidentally fallen asleep.

When she realized that the Sandman had gripped her in his clutches, she woke up with the gasp. She glanced at the clock and groaned when she realized that time had passed. It had been one o'clock in the morning when she was last awake. It was eight in the morning when she had woken up. Blossom had groaned when she realized that she could not accomplish her goal of slowing down time. She let herself sleep seven hours and because of that she had to try and slow down eleven hours instead of more.

And she tried.

She did everything she could to try and slow down the inevitable, but, again, time was not one to conform to another's wishes. The hours passed by quickly and the jitters in Blossom's stomach only increased as time went from eight in the morning to noon to two in the afternoon to five in the afternoon.

When six o'clock in the evening had come, Blossom was sitting in her room, staring at the wall, defeated by an enemy she never had any chance against. Only a soft knock at the door broke her out of her reverie. Glancing at her room's entrance, she murmured, "Come in."

Bubbles poked her head in. "It's six, Blossom. Ms. Bellum wanted me to tell you that Wayne just sent a message that Mojo is leaving."

Blossom shivered at the words and nodded. "Okay."

Silence enveloped the room, but Bubbles did not leave. After a moment, the blonde sighed heavily and moved further into her sister's room until she was sitting next to her leader. The two girls sat in the quiet, their nerves rattled, before Bubbles whispered, "I'm scared."

"We all are," Blossom answered.

"Even you?" asked the blonde.

"Yes, Bubbles, even me."

The two didn't say anything for a second until Bubbles broke the silence again. "What if he succeeds?"

Blossom glanced away from the wall she was staring at and turned her gaze on her sister. She stared at the blonde for an intense moment, taking in every blonde hair on her head, the blue of her eyes, and the nervous paleness in her normally rosy-cheeked face. Bubbles was frightened. She was frightened of the microchips in her bloodstream. She was scared of losing this fight. She was fearful of dying. Blossom knew these things because she was feeling them too. Instead of saying that, though, she murmured to her frightened sister, "He won't."

Bubbles looked to her hands in lap. "Everything's going to change."

Blossom continued to scrutinize her sister before reaching out and squeezing her hand. "And I'll be there every step of the way to protect you and Buttercup."

The blonde girl returned the squeeze. Her jaw trembled, tears welled up in her eyes, and she whispered, "But who's going to protect you, Blossom?"

"We will."

Both girls glanced towards the doorway to find Buttercup there. Though her face was set in a confidant scowl, they could see the insecurity in her emerald eyes. The dark-haired girl gave them a weak smirk. "We'll watch her back just as she'll watch ours. We had each other's backs from the moment we were born. That hasn't changed."

Bubbles sniffled. "I know."

Blossom gathered the girl in her arms and hugged her tightly. Buttercup watched as the two girls hugged before moving away from the door and kneeling in front of them. Blossom automatically gathered her tomboyish sister into her arms and squeezed them tightly. As a leader, she had every bit of confidence her girls would do well in the upcoming battles. As a sister, however, she was scared to lose them. So, as she embraced them, burying them into her, she closed her eyes and thought of nothing but of hopes, prayers and promises to protect them from whatever came their way.

"Girls," a soft voice floated towards them. The three broke away from each other to see Ms. Keane at the door, a sympathetic look on her face. "I hate to interrupt, but you have less than an hour."

Blossom nodded. "You're right." She turned to her sisters. "Get ready. We need to leave."

The other two returned her nod as they got up and retreated out of the room to get ready for the upcoming battle. As soon as they were gone, Ms. Keane quietly said, "I know I can't convince to not do this and it'd be wrong of me to ask you not to since you went through all this trouble, but…"

The teacher trailed off on her words as she watched the redheaded teen before her. Though tall and quite obviously no longer a little girl, the former teacher could still see the enthusiastic young child with a big bow in her hair and a thirst for any knowledge that she could acquire in her. Ms. Keane always thought that Blossom was fiercely intelligent and knew the girl would've gone far had she had been given the opportunity. Though already endeared to the girl, these last few months made Sandra Keane feel even more maternal for Blossom and her sisters.

"But?"

Ms. Keane snapped out of her thoughts. "Be safe, please."

"We will."

The dark-haired woman bit her bottom lip momentarily, seemingly contemplating something, before she hugged the girl, surprising the super-powered teen. As she hugged the girl, Ms. Keane whispered, "And come home to us all."

Without another word, she moved out of the room and disappeared down the hall. Blossom was a bit shocked at the older woman's sudden embrace, but smiled when she realized what just happened. Shaking her head, she made a silent vow to return home.

 

* * *

 

Mojo had set up an elaborate plot. It was one of his most brilliant.

The satellite was launching today and he wanted nothing to stand in his way of its success. This satellite, he knew, would be the final clincher as his ultimate domination of the world. Initially, he had thought that creating an army of primates – brothers – would be enough to accomplish world dominance. They would serve him as their supreme lord and master while the humans worked as slaves. However, his creations turned on him and attempted to do the very thing he was trying to do – take over the world. That, of course, caused a problem.

In order to rectify his traitorous creations from winning, Mojo once again outsmarted his foes by creating the Rowdyruff Boys. The boys, of course, defeated all of his primate adversaries while also defeating other villains in the world who attempted to finish what Mojo started. And while he was, technically, supreme lord and master over the world, Mojo was not comfortable. There were still threats to throne.

The Regional Lords, though seemingly loyal, would eventually do something to take over the throne. Whether they created another set of super-powered teens like the Rowdyruffs or attempt assassination, each lord was threat. He knew they weren't loyal. They were greedy, they were powerful, and they wanted what he had. He would've been proud of his fellow brothers and creations were he not the one being threatened. They needed to be taken care of.

The humans, though weak and not as intelligent as he, were great in number and it'd only be a matter of time before they realized this. He knew that there was a group already out there trying to stop him and that was a problem. So were the rebellions. And, of course, the Thailand mass breakout and destruction of the camp was a fine example that all was not well within his kingdom. They, too, were a threat.

And, lastly, the boys. Yes, the boys were a threat – Brick, especially. While he knew he had the antidote chips in their bloodstream to control them, it, again, was only a matter of time. Brick was already acting out against Mojo's wishes. How long would it be before the boy figured out a way around the Antidote X chips and went for the kill with his brothers? Mojo wasn't going to risk it.

The girls, obviously, had been a threat. He had wanted to see their dead bodies before him and was severely upset when they weren't produced. While he had initially trusted that Brick had gotten the job done, he wanted proof now. Hence, the bounty hunters. Those three girls were just as dangerous – if not _more_ – than his boys.

And, of course, John Utonium. That man, his creator, could also be his undoing. He knew how to create people like the girls and boys. And if he succeeded in making another set, that would cause problems for Mojo Jojo.

Thus, Mojo had to eliminate these problems. Thus, the satellite was created. He couldn't tell Brick because he knew Brick would find this satellite as a problem. Especially for what Mojo had in store with this new weapon in his command.

The satellite, obviously, was going to control the humans. He would wipe them of their free will and no longer have to worry about them rebelling against him ever again. Thus, the need for the Rowdyruff Boys and the Regional Lords would no longer be necessary. Of course, neither party knew that.

When the time was right, after the unveiling and launching of the new satellite at this gala he was holding, Mojo would spray Antidote X on the Regional Lords, rendering them back to their previous forms and he could dispose with them afterwards. Then, he'd be free to ignite the Antidote X chips in the boys' bloodstream and effectively eliminate that problem once they were powerless. Of course, once the bounty hunters brought forth the girls' bodies, those three nuisances wouldn't be an issue either. And with the entire human race – including his favorite female human trio – was under his control, finding and exterminating John Utonium wouldn't be a problem anymore.

Mojo chuckled evilly as he walked out of the palace towards the outside hangar where the staging of his new plan was about to begin. He was quite proud of himself. If everything went according to plan, he'd be supreme lord and master of the world without any threats and then he could work on the issue of making himself immortal so he'd never have to worry about an heir.

"Yes," he said to himself, "I, Mojo Jojo, am a genius."

 

* * *

 

"I haven't seen Brittany all day," Butch complained as he threw himself on the couch. His brothers were on either side of him and both were quietly watching the television. All three of them hadn't been invited to Mojo's gala. Though Butch was relieved, he knew that Brick was bothered by this turn of events. Hence, his brother's troubled expression. Boomer's troubled expression, though, Butch couldn't figure out. Did blondie really want to go this gala?

"I haven't Amber either," the blonde absentmindedly answered, not really engaged in the conversation.

"Weird, ain't it?" retorted Butch. He received no answer, much to his chagrin. "I mean, they're usually around."

"Butch," snapped Brick, "shut up."

The dark-haired Rowdyruff grumbled underneath his breath and leaned further into his seat. "Che, whatever."

Brick, though facing the television, had his eyebrows furrowed. Something was up. The fact that Brittany and Amber weren't around didn't bother him. Though close friends of the boys – particularly his brothers – they were still technically human slaves and subjugated to the laws Mojo placed before them and their work they had to accomplish. No, what was bothering him was Mojo.

The lack of invitation to this gala bothered him. Mojo typically forced his three sons, his creations, to his extravagant parties, but this time Mojo didn't even bother telling them they were going. He simply condescendingly said to the three of the boys to behave before leaving. Another thing was, Brick knew, was that the gala wasn't taking place in the palace, which was odd. Mojo typically held them here.

 _Something is up_ , was all Brick could think.

Boomer, for his part, tried to keep his expression neutral, but was failing. Brick was worried, Brittany and Amber were missing, and Mojo was acting odd. He knew that was something was up, that something was about to change. He just didn't know what.

 _Amber, wherever you are, I hope you're safe_ , he thought desperately.

 

* * *

 

The wind whipped their hair behind them as they flew closer to Townsville. Once they reached the city, the three girls dropped their altitude and began weaving through the mixture of futuristic and sleek buildings with the ruined ones. When Blossom could see the former Townsville Hall in her sight, she turned around and said to her sisters over the cry of wind, "Ready?"

"Ready!" they chorused back at her.

" _Be safe, girls_ ," John said in their earwigs. " _We'll be monitoring from here._ "

"Thanks," replied the leader shortly, before shouting to her sisters, "Land now! We have to sneak into the palace from here! The quieter, the better. We can't make a ruckus until we're sure that the Mojo's plan is disabled!"

The three girls landed behind a building closest to the palace. As soon as their feet touched to the ground, Buttercup asked, "After the satellite's disabled, Leader Girl, what then?"

Blossom's pink eyes, uncovered from their typical hazel contacts, glowed fiercely as she stared at Townsville Hall. "We make hell for Mojo."

Buttercup smirked. "I like that part of the plan."

Bubbles exhaled a nervous breath. "We fix our problem tonight."

Blossom whirled to face her teammates. All three were dressed for battle. They had whatever equipment they needed on them, their earwigs were in place, and their powers were ready to let loose and make trouble. The redheaded girl gave them a grim look. "Let's go over the plan. I'm going to sneak into the Computer Mainframe and quietly disable the security systems, so –"

"So Bubbles and I can break into Mojo's office and find the access codes to disarm the microchips in everyone's bodies and delay the satellite," Buttercup broke in.

Blossom nodded. "Wayne said they'd be there."

"At which, we'll relay the code back to you and you'll disable microchips and delay the satellite's launching sequence from the Computer Mainframe," Bubbles added.

Buttercup crossed her arms. "Meanwhile, Bubbles and I are going to surprise the Rowdyruff Boys and tie them up with the polyduranium fibroid to keep them out of the way."

Blossom picked up where her sister left off. "Before we go over to Mojo, destroy the satellite, and –"

"– kick Mojo's ass," finished Buttercup, a ferocious gleam in her eye.

The redheaded girl nodded, satisfied that her sisters knew their roles in this plan. While it might've been prudent to simply go over and destroy the satellite, there was no telling what Mojo had as a backup plan. If they could permanently disable the microchips in the humans and Bubbles' bodies, then that part of Mojo's plan would've been a threat. It was necessary to stop the threat of the microchips before going over and causing physical harm of the supposed "king of the earth".

Releasing a breath, Blossom clasped a hand on their forearms and said, "Good luck, stay safe, and keep in contact. Let's go."

The three girls left the safety of their spot and ran towards the palace. They moved towards the secret hole that Blossom used to break into the archives and clamored through. Blossom closed off the hole behind her once they were through and motioned for them to follow her. They moved swiftly and quietly through the Archives and up towards the main level of the palace, keeping a careful eye out for cameras, guards, and Mrs. Brown.

They were extremely quiet as they made their way towards the Computer Mainframe. The option of using the vents was out of the question since Brick and Mojo had made sure that nobody could get into the room that way anymore. A more direct approach would suffice this time. Slipping past palace employees and guards was not an easy task and Blossom was grateful that the hallway where the Computer Mainframe was located was empty.

Upon reaching the room, she motioned for her sisters to stay where they were so she could see what they were dealing with. When she peeked her head around the corner to take a look at the doors, still tungsten metal despite Brick's warnings, she noticed that there were two guards acting as sentries. She also noticed that the room was accessed via a code and that the doors were also being watched by a camera. She pulled her head out of sight before sighing.

_Time to start._

She glanced around the corner, careful to keep her face out of sight, she whistled to the guards. Both of them glanced at each other, surprised at the sudden noise, before looking around to find the source of the noise. Blossom continued to whistle and was glad when she caught their attention. The two guards frowned and said roughly, "You there! Leave now, intruder!"

All she did was laugh and beckoned them towards her. Only one of the guards moved from his post, leaving the other behind. Blossom was very glad that Mojo made sure his chimpanzee guards were not as smart as he because their stupidity was working to her advantage.

As soon as the guard was close enough, the redheaded girl grabbed the guard and placed him in a tight chokehold. The guard grunted in surprise at the sheer force of her hold and struggled to break away to, but found he was unable to. After several moments of struggling, the guard ran out of arm and slumped, passed out.

The commotion caught the attention of the second guard, who called out to his partner. When he received no answer, the second guard stupidly moved to where his partner disappeared. This time it was Buttercup who performed the same tactic on the second guard when he was close. As soon as he was conscious, both Buttercup and Bubbles deposited the guards in a place out of the way as Blossom rounded the corner, sure to keep out of sight from the camera.

When she reached the camera, she placed herself underneath it and reached up to find the cord that kept it on. Finding it, she yanked on it and was pleased to see the red light that indicated it was recording went off. As soon as she was clear, she turned to where her sisters were still standing and whispered, "Come on! Hurry!"

The two girls followed the instructions of their leader as Blossom brought out her little flash that shined its blue light to let her see fingerprints. Flashing it on the keypad, she examined the letters. Buttercup, who was looking over her shoulder, whispered into her earwig back to John, "The letters are W, U, O, S, G, K, and N."

" _Another Sun name possibly?_ " suggested John. " _Or strategist_."

Blossom stared at the keypad for a second, analyzing the letters. 'N' and 'U', she noticed were pressed twice. Suddenly, something in her clicked and said murmured, "No. Not a strategist. It's Sun Wukong."

"Who?" Bubbles questioned, confused.

"I just heard about him from Kim during my stay in Thailand. She told me about Sun Wukong on one of the random nights we had nothing to do," Blossom replied. "He's commonly known as the Monkey King, according to Chinese folklore."

"The Monkey King," grumbled Buttercup. "Go figure."

Blossom smiled sardonically in response before she entered the name and the words ' **ACCESS GRANTED** ' flashed on the small screen. All three girls moved to go into the Computer Mainframe, ready to render more guards unconscious. They were, however, met with a surprise. Bubbles blinked. "There's no one in there."

Blossom frowned. "Mojo must not trust anyone in here."

"Who cares right now!" whispered Buttercup harshly, gently pushing her 'older' sister into the room. "Break into the computer and start getting the security systems offline. We need to get those access codes from Mojo's office."

The redheaded girl nodded and threw herself into the seat in front of the computer. Her sisters moved into the room behind her. As Blossom immediately started working her way into the computer, she was met with several obstacles courses, courtesy of Brick. As she started getting the ball rolling, she said to Bubbles and Buttercup, "You two start heading over to the office. By the time I break into this, you should be all clear."

"What about the security measures along the way?" asked Buttercup.

"Shouldn't be anything you can't handle," replied Blossom. "Guards, maybe, and cameras. Keep an eye out for them."

" _Wayne said that the biggest security measures are on Mojo's office door_ ," added Ms. Bellum from the base. " _He's personally notified if someone tries breaking into it._ "

"See? Go. I need to break into this and then I'll disable all security measures on and near Mojo's office," remarked Blossom. "Go!"

The two girls nodded and moved to leave the room. They didn't get very far and were met with another surprise. Bubbles gasped and Blossom heard Buttercup say, "I don't think we're going anywhere just yet."

Blossom was confused, but didn't get a chance to ask because a very familiar voice asked, "Who the hell are you and what the hell do you think you're doing?"

The pink-eyed girl stopped typing. In fact, her body went rigid all together, frozen. Brick. Brick was here. This was too soon. She didn't turn around, couldn't turn around. He wasn't supposed to show up just yet. Her mouth went dry when she heard him coldly say, "You, at the computer, one more move and you're dead. Move away from it, slowly, and join your friends here."

 

* * *

 

Brick and his brothers had been sitting in their lounge room for the past several hours, watching the television – or at least pretending to. Butch was fretting about Brittany, Boomer was fretting about _something_ , and he was worrying about Mojo and what was happening. He was just about to get up and storm over to the gala to demand an explanation when his watch started beeping like crazy. He frowned. He had programmed the watch to let him know when someone broke into the Computer Mainframe again so a repeat of what happened during the last gala didn't happen again.

Hearing the beeping, Butch and Boomer glanced at him as his blonde brother ask, "What's that?"

"Someone's breaking into the Computer Mainframe," replied Brick, standing up. "Let's go see who our uninvited guest is."

The two boys didn't question him as the three, using their powers, zipped over to the room. When they arrived, they noticed the guards were not in place and that the doors were wind open. Exchanging looks, the three boys moved closer to the room and as soon as they came close enough, they came face to face with two girls – one with blonde hair, the other with black. The blonde girl gasped while black-haired girl frowned and said, "I don't think we're going anywhere just yet."

Brick glared and moved to get a better look into the room. As he did, he coldly said, "Who the hell are you and what the hell do you think you're doing?"

The two girls didn't answer. The blonde girl kept looking at her dark-haired friend while the dark-haired one followed his movements with her eyes. From his position, he could see another one in the room, sitting at the computer and obviously the one messing with it.

Butch, from his position, examined the two girls. They looked familiar – especially the dark-haired one scowling at his brother. Her face looked really familiar, but he couldn't place her. He made sure to memorize the faces of the girls he went out with so he didn't repeat going out with the same girl. She, though familiar, wasn't one of those girls. Who was she? He couldn't place her face, but she was exceedingly familiar to him. Where?

Boomer, also, was watching the girls with the same curiosity. Unlike his brother, it came to him quickly. This blonde girl was his counterpart. The one he was supposed to kill over a year ago under Mojo's orders. Obviously he failed at that – as did Butch and Brick. He was about to voice this when she looked over his direction and something made him stop. Her eyes were familiar.

 _Amber_. Those were the same blue eyes as Amber. But…wait. He was confused. Did she just have a similar color? Blue was a common color. But, he knew, it wasn't the color. It wasn't the color that made him think of Amber. It was the depth, the recognition in her eyes, and that same warm sympathy Amber always looked at him with. It couldn't be…could it?

Brick, for his part, didn't recognize the two girls. He didn't care. He just needed to get the other girl away from the computer. "You, at the computer, one more move and you're dead. Move away from it, slowly, and join your friends here."

The girl was frozen in her seat, but hearing his words must've broken her out of her small spell. She slowly lifted her hands to show that she wasn't doing anything to the computer and slowly got up. She moved away from the seat, Brick watching her the entire time. Gradually, the girl turned around and had he been a lesser man, he would've gasped out in astonishment.

That face! He knew that face! Staring at the girl who was facing him, he choked out, "You!"

"Hello, Brick," she answered.

 _Cammy._ That was Cammy's voice. He knew that voice anywhere. Since she had been taken from him, her voice had been haunting. Chiding him when he said something wrong or harsh. Complimenting him when he did something she thought she'd be proud. He could hear her words echo in his head all the time, their arguments and their conversations circling around in his mind.

"C-Cammy?" he rasped out. "But –"

"Yes, it's me," she remarked, eyeing him, her hands still in the air. "Cammy Anderson. Or at least that was my alias while I was here."

"What!" he snapped.

She shook her head slowly. "Cammy Anderson's not my real name."

"Not your real name?" Brick repeated dumbly. He glared at her. "Then what the hell is your real name?"

She put her hands down, not looking at her the two girls next to her or his brothers to the side. "My real name, Brick, is Blossom Utonium. I'm your counterpart. The girl you tried killing over a year ago."

"You didn't die," he stated the obvious. What was wrong with him, he couldn't help but wonder. Why was he acting so stupid? It was just a girl! He had to do something. But he couldn't. This wasn't just a girl. This was Cammy.

"No, I didn't," Blossom answered. "And unfortunately, you're in my way."

Before he or his brothers could register what just happened, a burst of pink, green, and blue lights blinded them and whirled around them. He could feel his body being dragged from his spot and slam into his brothers'. His arms felt restricted and he couldn't move. When the lights faded, the three girls were standing before them and they, the Rowdyruff Boys, were bound by some type of string.

"What the hell is this?" Butch cried.

"Polyduranium fibroid," Brick heard Cammy – _Blossom_ – respond. "The strongest thing in the world for tying up three Chemically X charged beings."

"Don't try and break out from that," the dark-haired girl added roughly. "It won't break."

"We're sorry about this," the blonde answered, her sweet voice twinged with sadness. "But we need you out of the way for now."

"The hell? Let us out of this!" Butch roared, unhappy about the turn of events.

The dark-haired girl, Butch's counterpart, scowled and shook her head. "Sorry, Butch, but no."

His green-eyed brother looked ready to make a retort, but was cut off by Blossom, who said to her sisters, her voice filled with authority and command, "Buttercup, Bubbles, enough. Get to the office. We don't have much time."

"Roger that, Leader Girl," answered Buttercup.

"Stay safe, Blossom," said Bubbles, squeezing her sister's arm.

"I will. Go now!"

The two girls took off without another word for their leader. Just as the redheaded girl turned to move back into the Computer Mainframe, he heard Boomer say, no bitterness in his voice, "You tricked us."

She paused. "We had to."

"Why?"

She glanced at Boomer and, for the first time, Brick noticed her eyes were a soft pink – the common opposite of his harsh red. "This is not your world. It's not even ours. It belongs to the humans, and my sisters and I were naïve enough to help Mojo obtain it."

Butch dumbly added, "What?"

Blossom, however, didn't acknowledge his brother. Rather, she continued speaking, "My sisters and I are taking responsibility for our actions." Her face grew serious and Brick heard a fierceness in her voice he had never really heard before as she said, "And Mojo, more than anything, is going to learn that messing with me and my sisters was not a wise choice."

She shook her head, as if snapping herself out of her world, and moved back into the Computer Mainframe, typing quickly on the computer. Brick watched her, his scowl growing fiercer by the second before he harshly bit out, "You're never going to break into it."

She glanced at him briefly before looking back at the computer. "Watch me."

"Bitch," he grumbled, bothered by her mere presence. He shouldn't be surprised, though. He suspected that she was doing something like this. He was angry, though, with her for doing this, with Mojo for being right, and with himself for letting himself getting bewitched by her and believing her lies. He was wrong about her. She betrayed him in the worse possible way, weakened him emotionally, and proved Mojo right. With each passing second, the hurt of her betrayal turned more and more into anger.

 _How dare she do this to me_ , was all he could think.

Blossom from her position, tried to remain calm. The expression on Brick's face when he realized who she was had been far worse than she had imagined the night before. He didn't look just angry. He looked hurt and betrayed. For some reason, the pain on his face was worse than the anger. Anger she could handle. Pain, though, she couldn't. It broke her to see _him_ broken.

 _I'm sorry, Brick_ , she thought. _But I have to do this._

"I knew you were bad," a new voice sneered, "but this is just too much. I knew there was something off about you."

Blossom stopped typing and a scowl formed over her petite features. She turned around and spat out, "Princess Morbucks."

Princess Morbucks gave a sarcastic smile. "Cammy Anderson." She placed a finger on her lips. "Or should I say Blossom?" She turned to Brick. "You see, Brick. I told you she wasn't right for you."

The spoiled human cackled when she noticed that Blossom's aura became more hostile with her words. Grinning evilly, the yellow-clad teenager said, "Hit nerve, did I?"

"I'm going to do more than that in a second," snapped the redhead.

Princess shook her head and frowned. In a flash of yellow, the teenager charged at the off-guard Blossom and rammed her fist into her opponent's face before she threw her outside the Computer Mainframe. The redheaded girl collided with the wall and grunted. As Princess cackled at the success of the surprise attack, Blossom corrected herself and faced the thorn in her side.

Bringing out her fingerless leather gloves from her pocket and securing them on her hands, the pink-eyed teen scowled at Princess as the girl cooed, "Ooh, looks like someone's getting ready to play!"

Gloves on her hand, Blossom clenched her fists, lowered herself into a fighting stance, and snapped, "Oh believe me, Princess, I've been waiting to do this from the moment I met you."

The curly-haired girl frowned. "Then come at me, wench, if you think you can."

"Bring it on, bitch."

And those were the last words spoken before Princess Morbucks and Blossom Utonium began their fight.


	23. Between Love and Hate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "I see my demise  
> From behind your eyes  
> I can't pass you by  
> I put back to you
> 
> Between love, between hate  
> Shake the silence back, but it's too late  
> And it haunts you, and it haunts you  
> It's a love/hate heartbreak"
> 
> – Halestorm, "Love/Hate Heartbreak"

"I wish we could fly," Bubbles said as they ran down the hall in the direction of Mojo's office. Her blonde hair flew behind her from the air and she couldn't help but think it felt odd being in this place without her black-haired wig. Similarly, it was weird to see her sister's dark hair without the red-haired wig.

Buttercup, beside her, frowned. "After we do our job, we'll get to do all the flying we want and need." Her frown deepened and she rhetorically asked, "Are we almost there?"

"We need to make a left at this upcoming turn! Then we need to make a right at the first turn!"

The emerald-eyed girl let out a grunt to let her sister know she heard her. And as they came to the end of the long hallway, both sisters made a sharp left. Looking ahead, Buttercup called out, "There's our right turn! Let's go!"

But the two girls didn't manage to get to turn because a shrill alarm sounded throughout the palace. Both of them stopped running and began looking around for the source of the alarm. Not finding anything, Bubbles shrieked out, "What did you do!"

"What do _I_ do?" shouted the raven-haired girl, pointing accusingly at her sister, "What did _you_ do! I didn't touch _anything_!"

"Neither did I!" objected Bubbles quickly. Her eyes darted around. "We've been careful about not tripping anything!"

The two stood in the darkened hallway, which was being illuminated every couple of seconds with the red lights of the alarm, bickering amongst each other. Despite the fact that the alarm was loud and hurting their ears, they managed to shout insults and accusations each other. They stood like this for quite some time, forgetting their mission, until Buttercup suddenly stopped shouting. Bubbles looked at her curiously, wanting to ask what was wrong before Buttercup yelled out, "We need to leave! _NOW_!"

The blonde blinked. "Why?"

Buttercup pointed down the hallway. Bubbles' eyes followed the direction to where Buttercup was pointing and found a handful of Mojo's guards running towards them. The blonde's blue eyes widen and then took off. Buttercup followed her sister and they resumed their running, hoping to outrun the guards chasing them. As they did, the green-clad girl yelled, "Why don't we just fly now? They know we're here! No point in being secretive any longer!"

Bubbles nodded and both floated for a brief second before they took off, their respective colors leaving behind a trail. They managed to get halfway down the corridor when a net caught them by surprise and captured them. They skidded back from the force of being caught, tangled up in the net. As they struggled with getting out of the net, a couple of laughs caught their attention. They glanced up and found two figures moving in the shadows. One obnoxious voice rang out, "Oh! Look! We captured them first!"

"Goody," sighed another seductive one. "Brownie points for us."

"Even above those damn Rowdyruff Boys!" chirped the first voice and then lower it into a bitter mutter, "Foolish _men_! _Sexists,_ the lot of them!"

As the two unknown, shadowy figures congratulated each other for their success, Buttercup whispered to Bubbles, "Get your earwig out and let Blossom know what happened. It doesn't look like we're going to be getting to the satellite any time soon. She may need to do our part while we deal with these two nutcases."

Bubbles nodded and reached for her ear. When she didn't feel the earwig in her ear, her heart began to race and began to frantically search for it within her hair, hoping it had just jolted upwards into it. Not being able to find it, she quickly turned to her sister and gasped out, fear enveloping her very being, "Buttercup, I can't find it."

" _What!_ " the other girl hissed.

Bubbles squeezed her eyes and began searching for the earwig. Spotting it, she murmured, "It's over there!"

Buttercup followed her sister's gaze and found it sitting two arms length away from them. She grit her teeth and then glanced back towards the two figures. They slowly pealed themselves from the dark shadows. One was a blonde and she was toying with the Venus symbol necklace that hung around her neck. The other was distinctly different from her companion in terms of clothing, which were very revealing, but it was the hair that caught Buttercup's attention. It snapped and whipped around wildly as if it were snakes. The common factor between the two was that they both had smug smirks on their faces.

The one with the crazy hair smacked her lips. "Looks like we caught a couple of birds."

The blonde pressed a finger to her lips and then glanced at her companion. "You have to give them props, Sedusa, for getting this far. Well, that and the amount of girl power these two embody. I'm all for women stepping up and rising above those dogs we call _men_."

Sedusa rolled her eyes. "Shut up, Femme Fatale." She turned to the two sisters and frowned deeply. "I know for a fact there are _three_ of you. Where's the third one? The redhead, your leader?"

Both Buttercup and Bubbles remained quiet. They knew well enough to not speak of Blossom's location. If these two clowns went after their sister, there would be no chance of them winning. When the two girls didn't speak up, Femme Fatale giggled and then replied to Sedusa in a sing-song voice, "They're not gonna tell you!"

Sedusa growled out in frustration and snapped her fingers. As soon as she did, two guards appeared, flanking the two heroes. "Take these two down to the dungeons. Femme Fatale and I are going to find the third sister."

The guards nodded and grabbed the net containing Bubbles and Buttercup. The blonde teenage girl gasped out in fear when she noticed Femme Fatale and Sedusa fading back into the shadows. What if they found Blossom? Buttercup, however, was not about ready to admit defeat. "Time to bust out, Bubbles."

Without knowing what Buttercup was planning, but tapping into their connection as triplets, Bubbles knew to use her eyebeams with her sister. Before Sedusa and Femme Fatale could completely get away, they turned around when they heard the guards crying out and saw Buttercup and Bubbles breaking the net with their eyebeams and subsequently turned to thrash the guards in a couple of swift moves. Instead of getting upset, both women glanced at each other in amusement.

Femme Fatale raised an eyebrow. "These two are going to put up a fight."

Sedusa grinned maniacally. "This is going to be fun."

"Sorry, girls," Buttercup spoke up clearly, in her element of fighting, "but we have a party to crash."

"And you're not our plus ones," Bubbles added.

"Oh, sweetie," Sedusa cooed. "You have no idea how much you've just made my day."

With no warning, Sedusa's hair snapped forward and grabbed roughly at Buttercup, taking the girl by surprise. Bubbles cried out "Buttercup!" but didn't get a chance to help her because she was suddenly ambushed by Femme Fatale's attacks.

 

* * *

 

Blossom couldn't, for the life of her, figure out why Princess' hits were actually hurting her. The teenage girl was human and therefore not as strong as her. While they weren't as painful as someone with Chemical X, they were actually biting enough for her to feel the sting of the hits on her bruising muscles, which bothered her. However, she couldn't contemplate it deeply as she was busy dodging Princess' punches.

She swatted Princess' incoming fist before throwing a jab of her own. The human girl was barely able to dodge the hit before she attacked again. Blossom quickly retaliated by moving the hand she used to swat the previous hit away to block the new attack. The two continued to exchange hits like this, one throwing a punch while the other blocked or dodged.

After about a minute of furiously throwing attacks, Princess managed to get lucky and hit Blossom on her shoulder. While she didn't stumble back, the redheaded girl certainly grunted from the impact, the muscles feeling tender. As she wondered for the umpteenth time why she was hurting so much, Princess giggled insanely and said, "You like? It's the technology I came up with. Mojo doesn't know it, but I had several scientists working on it for awhile."

Blossom eyebrows furrowed. That didn't make sense. When would the girl have time to get scientists to develop such technology – and _where?_ – without Mojo knowing?

As if hearing the questions in her mind, the human teenage continued to grin like a madwoman and said, "I lived in New York when the takeover happened. Being on the East Coast had its advantages, you see, because when the news spread that Mojo and his goonies were taking over, Daddy and I acted fast. Or, at least, I did."

Again, the redheaded girl was confused at her opponent's words.

Princess pointed a finger at her. "You weren't the only smart five-year-old. It was hard, but I managed to find a secure location to place some of my daddy's scientists while they worked on this armor." She patted the yellow material on it. "The way I figured it, if I could save the world from Mojo's plot, the people of the world would bow down to me out of respect and make me their princess of the world!"

"You're insane," Blossom hissed.

Princess chuckled. "Maybe, maybe not. I just knew what I wanted. My armor was nearly complete when Mojo made the boys." She gestured to the three boys still tied up to the side. "And I had to have my scientists update my suit to match their powers so I could defeat them. While they did that, I postured myself to Mojo as a willing wealthy subject of his, becoming his sponsor with my daddy's money. Like you, I stayed close to them to watch my enemies and learn from them. They never suspected."

Blossom refrained from glancing at Brick when Princess gestured to them, instead keeping her focus on the human girl before her. As the curly-haired human continued her monologue, Blossom shook her head. "And all this for you to steal Mojo's throne from under him. Selfish."

Princess giggled insanely once more. "All this time Mojo feared you three girls, your creator, and the boys, but he never suspected that little human me would be a threat! It was perfect!" Her grin became twisted. "I'll defeat you, sweetie, render these boys helpless, and then defeat Mojo. He won't know what hit him."

Blossom grunted. "Not if I can help it."

As soon as the words left her mouth, Princess disappeared in a flash of yellow, the scientific imitation of the Chemical X powers, and ferociously attacked her. The two girls traded blows, Blossom finally understanding that the power of the hits came from the armor that Princess was wearing.

" _Blossom, you don't have much time! Disable the girl and go! Your sisters need you!_ "

The redheaded girl nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard her father's voice in her ear. In the midst of the fight, she had completely forgotten that she still had the earwig in her ear. If anything, she thought the small device would've been knocked away. However, despite her shock, she was immensely glad she heard Professor Utonium's words because she was suddenly reminded that her personal vendetta against the selfish, spoiled, and twisted human girl in front of her did not out weight the importance of getting the security measures around Mojo's door down.

Desperation and renewed vigor surged through Blossom. As Princess came in for another punch, the Chemical X-powered teen was prepared for the hit and quickly grabbed the incoming fist before sending another hit to Princess at such a fast speed, it could barely been seen by the naked eye. Princess barely managed to let out a scream before her body collided harshly with the wall behind her. Had she not been protected by the armor, Blossom knew that Princes wouldn't have survived the power of the attack.

Blossom watched with calculating eyes as Princess struggled to stand up. While it was not in her character to attack a weakened enemy that wasn't prepared for an assault, she bent her own rules and went in for the figurative kill. Before the human girl even had a chance to recollect herself, Blossom disappeared in a flash of pink, reappearing in front of the girl. In two quick movements – an overwhelming punch to the stomach and a devastating blow to the back of the head – Princess was down for the count.

The redheaded teenager shook her head as soon as her opponent's face smacked to the ground. "Sorry, Princess, but don't you know? The original always wins out in the end."

As much as Blossom would've liked to teach Princess a severe lesson, her sisters were depending on her. Thus, she turned away from the unconscious girl and went back to the Computer Mainframe. Throwing herself into the seat, she furiously began typing once more to disable the security measures.

However, once more, Blossom was stopped when she heard someone whisper in her ear, "You know, it was really stupid to forget about me."

Frozen, the girl whispered, "Brick."

"Yeah, _Brick_ ," sneered her counterpart.

She felt her hair being tugged before she was placed in a choke hold. She coughed from the sheer force of being yanked out of her seat and, for a brief moment, she flashed back to when he first attacked her nearly over a year ago. However, unlike that time, she wasn't terrified beyond all belief and she had her training to back her up.

"Brick," she wheezed, "let me go."

"Now why would I do that?"

She blinked rapidly when he tightened his hold on her. "Listen to me –"

He barked out a laugh. "' _Listen to you_ '? All I've _done_ has been listening to _you_ and look how that turned out!" He rested his head on the side of hers so he could speak directly into her ear. "You must think I'm some sort of idiot to fall for your little trap. Was this all some sort of game to you?"

"No, Brick, I –"

" _Shut up_." He squeezed his eyes shut. "At this point, I don't even care about your answer." In a quick flourish, he whirled her around, backing her up until her back was pressed against the wall, and kept his hands firmly around her neck. "All I care about right now is _breaking_ you."

With each word, his anger grew as did the pressure around her neck. She choked a bit from the sheer force of his grip before taking a breath as best as she could and centering her focus again. She closed her eyes for a moment before opening them, a different look than the one she had before. Gone was the desperation and upset. Gone was any trace of Cameron Anderson. If Brick wanted a fight, then he got one, but not with girl he knew. He'd get a fight with Blossom Utonium.

Using her right arm, she rammed it down on the hands that were choking her before shoving her elbow in his face. His head was tossed back from the force and never got a chance to recover as Blossom, fast as lightning, hit his jaw with her left fist. She followed up with a quick uppercut into his stomach. He groaned and toppled to the ground from the impact. As he caught his breath, she said above him, "I'm sorry."

 _I'm sorry_. That was all she was going to offer him. As Brick jumped to his feet, a little winded from the shock of her hitting him, he watched as she readied herself for the upcoming battle between the two of them. This, though, didn't have his attention.

 _I'm sorry_. Those two words circled around his head and he bitterly chuckled. Sorry? Did she even know what those words meant? Did she really mean them? As far as he was concerned, she wouldn't know sorrow until he was done with her. Then, he knew, then she'd know sorrow.

With a ferocity that he didn't even know he had in himself, he charged at her and thrust his curled up fist in her direction. She barely was able to block the blow with her left hand before she quickly jammed her right elbow in his face. Despite being thrown off balance, Brick managed to take advantage of her wide open position and threw another punch to her right side. The blow knocked her down quickly, but Blossom managed to catch herself with her right hand. A shot of pain shot up her arm from the bad fall, but she ignored it as she twisted her body to swipe him off of his feet.

The anger only seemed to skyrocket with both of them on the ground. There was a short standstill moment, the air cackling and sizzling with anger and energy, as the two glared at each other. And with a twitch of their muscles, the moment was over as Brick took off again and shot off towards Blossom. Right as he threw a punch where she had been laying at, she dodged, leaving a crater in her place.

She barely had time to register what just happened or look at the size of the crater before she had to dodge another blow from Brick. Just like moments before, another crater was the only marker that she had been standing there moments before. Brick went in for another hit and Blossom had to dodge again.

Hit. Dodge. Hit. Dodge.

Craters, craters, craters – left everywhere.

Again and again, Brick and Blossom continued this twisted process. The walls and the ground were covered were various sized indents from where his fist had connected. And, yet again, Blossom was forced to dodge went Brick went in for another hit. But it was different this time because, mid-dodge, Blossom eyes widened when she realized that the hit was heading straight for the still-tied up Butch and Boomer, who had been watching the fight. She reached out and her fingers slipped through their binds and tugged them out of the way the last second. She flung them to safety, unable to really check to see if they were hurt from her tossing them out of the way. She turned to glance back to Brick.

_He could've hit his brothers; could've killed them._

With his anger reaching its peak, she noted, his hits didn't seem as precise, but the power behind the hits had near tripled in strength. If she was hit by one of his punches, there was no doubt that she'd be severely hurt. Just as she finished this thought, Brick tossed another punch at her and she tried to move out of the way, but he seemed to anticipate where she'd go because he managed to reach out and grab a hold of her.

He tossed her to the side, her body slamming into, of all things, the Computer Mainframe. The machine sparked some electric as its secondhand beating. Brick quickly shot off towards her, but Blossom dart into the air and narrowly missed yet another blow. Unfortunately, the mainframe took a majority of the power and ended up with a giant hole in the center of it.

Blossom's eyes widened at the sight and wondered what the consequences of that would be. Turning to her counterpart, she shouted, "Brick, stop it!"

He didn't answer. In fact, it was almost like he didn't hear what she said. Instead, he looked up at her, a very different look on his face. His red eyes were faintly glowing and the air crackled with electricity, but Blossom wasn't quite sure anymore if the electricity was from the mainframe or from Brick. It was the look on his face, though, that worried her. He wasn't going to stop, no matter what she said. Not until she was cold and in her grave or, worse, they both were. That, the idea of him destroying them both, was enough to scare her.

The tremor of fear stopped her momentarily and Brick, like an animal who could sense fear, preyed upon that moment. He shot up to her, grabbed her neck, slammed her into the ceiling above them, and then threw her to the ground. The floor cracked and rubble went up into the air from the concussion of her collision. Seconds later, his hand shot out of nowhere and grabbed her by the neck again. He lifted her up into the air and stared coldly at her. She could almost see the red aura of his power.

"Time for you to learn the meaning of the word sorrow," he said, his tone dead.

He lifted his hand and Blossom was frantically trying to figure out a way to end this fight without killing them both. Just before his hand could connect, she was blinded with a blue and green light. She dropped to the ground when she no longer felt Brick's hand around her neck and it took her a second to realize what happened.

_Boomer and Butch._

 

* * *

 

Bubbles rammed her elbow into Femme Fatale's face, gritting her teeth when the blonde bounty hunter's fingers refused to let go of the super-powered teen's hair. Bubbles then grabbed Femme Fatale's wrist and shouted, "Let go of me!"

The older woman said nothing to demand, but did ram her own elbow down on Bubbles' shoulder, which was positioned awkwardly as that was the arm that was grasping at her wrist. Bubbles' hissed as she felt the slightly, but no less impactful jarring pain of her body going one direction and her arm going the opposite direction. She quickly let go of Femme Fatale's wrist and twisted her body, ignoring the pain of some of her hair being ripped from her scalp, to swipe the legs out from under Femme Fatale. As the criminal fell to the ground, she let go of Bubbles' hair.

Bubbles rolled closer to Femme Fatale and brought a kick down on her stomach. Femme Fatale wheezed from the force of the kick and sneered, "Brat."

Both blondes jumped onto their feet and started another round of fighting.

Buttercup, for her part, was busy dodging the snakelike hair of Sedusa, the dark locks twisting and turning in directions that were absolutely not normal for any type of hair. What was even worse was that the hair was razor sharp, as she found out when one strand of hair ripped the clothing on her left arm and left a deep laceration in its place.

When another wave of hair came for her again, Buttercup grabbed a fistful of it and then used it to throw Sedusa in a wide arch over her. In midair, Sedusa shot out an available strand of hair to do the same thing to Buttercup. As the two fighters went flying into the air, the two of them took the opportunity to take advantage of their opponent's widely open vulnerabilities. Another large strand of sharp hair blasted towards Buttercup, who quickly deflected with her own blast of firepower from her eyes. The hair batted away, the brunette teenager used her laser eyes to blast green, sizzling energy into Sedusa's abdomen.

While Sedusa ended rocketing to the wall several feet back and crashing harshly into the wall, Buttercup dropped to the ground unceremoniously, marginally less injured than her opponent. From her position on the ground, the earwig that had fallen out of Bubbles' ear just before this fight had begun. Her gaze snapped back to behind her where she could see Bubbles fighting it out with Femme Fatale, and, in the distance, could see Sedusa already standing up.

Not wasting any time, Buttercup slide over to the earwig and grabbed it. "Blossom, I hope you hear this. Bubbles and I ran into a problem – two big ones, actually. I don't think we're going to make to the satellite any time soon. It's up to you, Leader Girl."

Just as the green-eyed girl finished her message, Sedusa, who had recovered from Buttercup's blow, whipped her hair out once more, wrapped it around the younger girl's ankle, and threw her into the wall. The earwig flew out of Buttercup's hand and fell to the floor. Pinned to the wall with the lifelike hair, Buttercup watched as Sedusa moved towards her, a smirk on her face, and then crushed the earwig underneath her shoe. The curvy bounty hunter grinned gleefully.

"There's no need for you to call for help, sweetheart. You and I are going to have a lot of fun together with your backup."

As Sedusa's hair tightened its hold around Buttercup's neck, wrists, and ankles, the brunette teenager could only hope that her sister and leader heard what she said.

_It's up to you now, Blossom. Good luck._


	24. The Powerpuff Girls

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "We're the Powerpuff Girls."
> 
> – Blossom

Mojo Jojo was unaware that something was very wrong. In fact, he was so focused on watching every regional lord file into the ballroom that his normal paranoid intuition was not tugging at his mind like it typically did. To him, all that mattered at the moment was revealing his satellite, controlling all of humanity, and getting rid of all of his obstacles on his road to complete domination.

When the room was filled and every regional lord had filed in, Mojo stood up in the center, the satellite behind him, hidden from view because of curtains. Holding out his hands in the direction of his audience, his voice boomed across the room, "Welcome, all, to this very important meeting. I, your ruler, Mojo Jojo, am coming before you to reveal to you a plan that has long been conceived. Take witness to history in the making of my genius!"

Several of the regional lords, in the back and out of Mojo's line of sight, rolled their eyes at their supreme leader's arrogance. The noticeable lack of attendance of the Rowdyruff Boys emboldened the regional lords to display such emotion.

"For too long the humans have caused us problems," Mojo continued. "For too long we have been under the thumb of these wretched humans, but I come to you to tell you that we are going to change this precedence."

There was a murmur amongst the lords until one dared ask, "And what plan is this, my lord?"

Mojo Jojo smiled wickedly and motioned for a guard to open up the curtains. The crowd drew in a breath when the intricately made satellite was revealed. "Behold, my brethren, the key to our success! This satellite will place all of humankind underneath our control! No longer will we suffer their arrogance! No longer will we deal with their impudence! This is the time for us oppose the thumb of these insufferable beings!"

At their leader's words, the regional lords began cheering and grinning.

"I brought you forth here today to witness the launch of this satellite," Mojo explained, placing a hand on his creation. "In two hours, this, my second greatest plan, will orbit _our_ planet and make us the true rulers, the rulers of the _planet of the apes!_ "

Again, cheers erupted in the hall. Mojo nodded, satisfied with the response he was getting. He stretched his hands out again. "Now, brothers –"

A couple of things happened in quick succession at that moment. He heard the distinct noise of walls crumbling from the inner sanctums of his home and, moments thereafter, a guard came rushing towards him without ceremony and murmured into his ear, "Sire, we have intruders. The bounty hunters, Sedusa and Femme Fatale, were found unconscious, the computer mainframe destroyed, and holes in the walls of the palace."

Mojo jerked away from the guard to stare at him in the face, checking for any sign of deception. There was nothing but anxiety written on the guard's face. Gritting his teeth, he turned to his regional lords, who were beginning to get restless, and boomed, "My brothers, enjoy yourselves with the refreshments provided while we make preparations for the satellite."

Several lords looked confused at the sudden change in the atmosphere, but a majority of them began mingling amongst each other as Mojo turned back to the guard and demanded, "These intruders, who are they?"

"No idea, my lord," the guard squeaked out. "We have not seen their faces. But they are powerful."

Something in Mojo panicked. "Where are they heading? Do you know?"

There was a nervous pause from the guard. "Your office, sire."

That was all that needed to be said before Mojo took off without a backward glance.

 

* * *

 

"– _I don't think we're going to make it to the satellite any time soon. It's up to you, Leader Girl."_

Blossom frowned as she heard Buttercup's words. Any plan they had just went up in flames. Time to improvise.

" _GET OFF OF ME!_ "

She jerked, startled, turning back to the scene before her and slowly stood up, not sure if she should believe what she was seeing. Brick was struggling ferociously against his brothers' hold, and his face was red as he yelled and screamed and demanded that Butch and Boomer release him, but neither were complying with what he wanted. So shocked she was, Blossom couldn't fathom any words.

"Enough, Brick!" Boomer shouted. "Stop it!"

" _I SAID GET OFF OF ME!"_

"You need to chill, bro!" Butch added. "You're too angry! You don't even realize what you're doing!"

" _I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT I'M DOING!"_ Brick yelled, struggling against his brothers again. In his anger, his strength had multiplied and it took everything Boomer and Butch had in them to keep him from breaking free. "Let go of me _now!_ I'm going to show that bitch exactly what I'm feeling!"

Butch opened his mouth to respond, but Boomer cut him off when he turned his head in the slightest in Blossom's direction and said, "Go do what you need to do."

Blossom stared, taken back, unsure of what was happening. The paranoid part of her couldn't help but think that this was some sort of trick, but her logical side knew that this was all real, no tricks. She took a step back, watching the three Rowdyruff Boys for a second longer, but took off down the hall when Butch shouted at her, "Get going!"

She ran, not looking behind her. There was no point in worrying about security measures anymore. Brick had all but destroyed the Computer Mainframe. There was no time to waste. She ran like the devil was chasing her – although, in this case, it wouldn't have been too far from the truth – and when she was far away enough from Brick and his brothers, she took off into the air, breaking down walls in the process, only stopping when she reached her destination, uncaring about whose attention she attracted.

Mojo's office was quiet, as it was supposed to be, but she didn't have much time. She knew that, if nothing else, his guards would have heard her breaking through multiple walls and would come to investigate the commotion. She dashed over to his computer and stared at it for a second.

" _What's going on, Blossom?_ " asked Professor Utonium.

"I'm in Mojo's office, in front of his computer," she answered, still staring.

" _Then what are you waiting for? You need to access the computer to disable his plans,"_ urged her father.

Blossom furrowed her brows. "Are all the satellite functions connected to this computer?"

" _Yes,"_ Ms. Bellum replied instantaneously. " _The satellite and the microchips only work from that computer."_

The teenage girl could hear the rush of footsteps, knowing that Mojo's guards were on their way. She was out of time. And with Buttercup and Bubbles' earlier notification, the plan was up in flames. While she loved sticking to whatever plan she (or someone else) came up with, sometimes improvisation was necessary. This was one of those moments.

Something in Blossom woke up just then and, after that, tiredness settled. She finally understood Buttercup's impatience and weariness. She was tired of hiding, tired of feeling like she wasn't making any progress. No more sneaking around, no more stupid espionage missions. She was going to do things her way now and the way that she knew her and her sisters would do well in.

" _Blossom?_ _Why are you asking that?_ "

She didn't respond. She didn't want or need the approval of the Professor, Ms. Bellum, or Ms. Keane anymore. She knew what she needed to do. Maybe she always had. Maybe she was too afraid to do things her way, but she wasn't anymore.

Lifting the computer up with ease, she tossed it in the direction of wall nearest to her. The computer cords snapped in half and the computer shattered against the wall. From the distance, she could hear the sound of the footsteps increase. And in her ear, she heard Professor Utonium rapidly speak up, " _Blossom, what just happened? What did you do?"_

"I destroyed the computer," she replied.

" _That's not going to stop him completely, Blossom,_ " Ms. Bellum chimed in. " _That's only going to delay him temporarily. He can find a way to build up the systems again in another computer!"_

"No, he's not," she answered. "Because he's not going to be reigning from this day forward. I said today was the day. I'm done with sneaking around and so are my sisters. "

There was a moment of silence from the other end before Ms. Keane softly asked, " _What are you going to do?_ "

"Like I told Buttercup earlier: raise hell," Blossom said. "Sorry, but it's just the three of us from here on out. See you at the finish line."

She could hear the protests from the three adults as she took out the earwig, but she paid them no heed. The noise of the protests was silenced when she crushed the earwig in her hand and let the dust from the small device fall to the floor. She wasn't worried about them. She knew her actions would force the three of them into action, force their hand.

She faced in the direction that the guards were coming and braced herself. Then something strange happened again for the umpteenth time since this entire day started: a guard whizzed right passed her and crash landed into the wall behind her. Then another, then another, and another.

She turned back to look in the direction the guards came from and smiled.

 

* * *

 

Buttercup had had it. She was through being tossed around by some freak whose hair could whip, snap, grab, and throw like it had a mind of its own. A frustrated sneer marred her otherwise pretty face as she used her thumb to wipe away the tiny cut that had appeared on her cheek. Though it was pointless to do so as the Chemical X in her body would heal it within a matter of seconds, the action alone allowed Buttercup a moment to harness in her rising temper and center her focus.

From her periphery, she saw Bubbles land right next to her. The blonde looked a little frazzled, but no less frustrated than she was at the moment. Keeping her voice low so only her sister could hear her, Buttercup asked, "How you holding up?"

"Fine," answered Bubbles, huffing. "Just frustrated."

Buttercup nodded in the slightest, barely noticeable to human eyes. "I noticed you're having a hard time with that Fem-Nazi chick."

Bubbles rolled her eyes. "It's not that she's strong – because she isn't."

"Then what is it?"

"She's fast." Bubbles heaved a sigh. "Every time I think I have her, she manages to slip away. If I can just get one good hit in, I think I can take her down for good. She has no form of protection on her, so I'm sure that my hits would take her down without a problem."

Buttercup watched as their two opponents began to creep up on them. Deciding that brute force was no longer going to cut, she did what she knew would make Blossom proud of her: she thought fast. Coming up with a short, but no less effective plan, she murmured to Bubbles, "We need to take them out now. I have idea."

"I'm all ears."

"We need to catch these two by surprise. We'll charge at them like normal, but at the last second, switch opponents," Buttercup explained quickly. "If nothing else, it'll take out Fem-Nazi. Snake Hair might respond better. She seems to have faster reflexes."

Bubbles shrugged. "That's fine with me. It's better than nothing."

Bumping their fists together, the two girls darted off like rockets towards Sedusa and Femme Fatale. The two villains watched with caution and braced themselves for the hits, but, like planned, Buttercup and Bubbles switched places at the last second. As Buttercup predicted, Femme Fatale was taken by surprise and didn't react as well as she should've. With speed as fast as lightning, Buttercup slammed her fist into the blonde's face. Femme Fatale went flying back into the wall, before collapsing on the ground, rubble from the wall falling around her.

Sedusa, however, managed to react at the last possible second and whipped her hair out to grab at Bubbles' wrists. The younger girl quickly planted her feet on the ground when Sedusa began tugging at her. Gritting her teeth, Bubbles tugged back at her. Sedusa let out a yelp when she felt the quick jerk from her scalp.

Buttercup, from her spot, noticed that Bubbles was having a hard time with Sedusa. Zipping over to her sister, Buttercup swept Sedusa's feet out from under her. Bubbles, seeing what her sister did, took advantage of the slack in Sedusa's grip, jumped up, and kicked Sedusa in the face. The woman did an awkward flip from the blows to her face and her legs and landed on the ground, unconscious.

The two super-powered teens remained still for a couple of seconds, waiting for both their opponents to get back up. When they didn't, Buttercup and Bubbles exchanged a glance. Without saying anything to each other, they understood what they needed to do.

They took off to help Blossom.

 

* * *

 

"I should kill the two of you."

Butch snorted. "You nearly did, bro. If your counterpart – what was her name? Daisy? Petunia? Whatever. _The freaking flower child._ – hadn't intervened, then we would probably be dead."

"Or at the very least severely injured," interjected Boomer harshly, glaring down at his brother.

Brick was sitting on the floor, unrestrained and untied, and glaring down at the floor. His unchecked temper was no longer as violent as it was when Blossom was present, but the mere mention of the "flower child" had caused Brick's muscles to tense, but, thankfully, didn't outburst again.

After his brothers had managed to calm him down enough, the three of them remained in a dead silence before Brick had spoken up. His words had done nothing to ease to tension between them. Boomer was absolutely furious with Brick while Butch, though in a lighter mood, was still no less pleasant towards his brother.

"You still shouldn't have gotten in the way," growled Brick.

"She didn't mean it," Boomer snapped. "If you just had listened to her –"

"She played me!" Brick objected. He glared at the blond. "Why the hell are you taking her side?!"

"I'm not taking anyone's side!"

"It sounds like you're taking hers!"

Boomer ground his teeth. "Brick, shut up and listen for once in your life! You nearly killed us! You didn't even listen what _anyone_ had to say! Do you even know why she did what she did or are you so self-centric that you didn't care to ask!"

Brick jumped to his feet and got into his brother's face. "She _lied_ to me."

"Did you ever stop to think you're in the wrong?!" Boomer yelled back. "She tried to explain, but _you didn't listen! YOU NEVER LISTEN!_ "

"I DON'T NEED TO LISTEN TO SOMEONE LIKE HER!"

Butch watched the exchange with a mildly terrified fascination. His eyes widened when he watched Boomer outright slug Brick in the face. The toughest and meanest Rowdyruff continued to watch the scene with trepidation when Brick stopped skidding back from the impact of the hit. He sucked in a breath and waited for the retaliation.

Boomer closed in on his downed brother, grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, and said acidly, "We're wrong, Brick! About everything!"

Brick wiped away the blood that was trickling from his nose. "You –"

" _SHUT UP AND LISTEN!_ " Boomer paused only for a moment and continued when Brick didn't speak. He now used both hands to hold on to his brother's collar. "Mojo lied to us. He told us the humans didn't deserve their freedom, but we are wrong! This is their planet and we've been bullying them! Mojo doesn't care about anyone – including _us_! You're smart! I know you are! I know that you've thought about how fast Mojo would get rid of us come the first opportunity! Don't tell me you haven't!"

"She did the same!" Brick roared over his brother's yelling.

Boomer went quiet and stared at Brick, his expression blank. Then, he said, "No, she didn't. She and her sisters only tried to show us the truth." He dropped his brother's collar and turned his back on both Brick and Butch. He heaved a sigh. "I'm assuming they talked to you, about our lives? About how we're wrong?"

Neither responded right away. Butch thought back to a brief conversation that Brittany – no, _his counterpart_ – and he had together. She painted a picture that was vastly different from the one he was living in, and, to be honest, it wasn't that bad looking of a picture. Brick, meanwhile, reflected on all of the arguments and discussions that he and his counterpart had had.

"We were wrong. We're nothing but tools to Mojo," Boomer continued. He turned back to them. "And you know what happens to tools that don't have a purpose anymore? They get tossed to the side."

Boomer's words seemed to have struck a chord with Brick because the two suddenly made eye contact. Then, Brick's next three words broke the silence and changed everything:

" _She was right."_

 

* * *

 

It was at this point in time that three people were heading for Mojo's office: Buttercup and Bubbles, and Mojo Jojo. It was also at this point in time that the events that happened over a decade ago were going to finally come to a head.

 

* * *

 

"You guys are late."

Buttercup dropped a guard unceremoniously onto the floor. "Yeah, well, we ran into some trouble along the way, but it's dealt with."

Blossom raised a brow. "Are you both okay?"

Bubbles popped her head in. "We're fine. No major injuries or anything like that."

Blossom nodded in relief. She moved closer to her sisters and they met her halfway. Buttercup said, "What now, Leader Girl?"

"I destroyed the computer," Blossom explained, ignoring the surprised looks on the other girls' faces. "From here on out, we're stopping Mojo at all cost. Buttercup, I hope you're happy because we're going to confront him – no more secrets and no more games."

"Well, that's good because I was wondering when the cowards were going to show their faces."

The new voice startled the three girls, who hadn't heard the newcomer enter the room. They whirled around and all three set their faces into grim and serious expressions because there, before them, stood Mojo, an equally serious expression on his face, and one of his guns cocked and aimed at them.

His lips twisted into a sneer. "Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup. I thought you were dead."

The three exchanged glances, but said nothing right away. Rather, Buttercup shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly and sarcastically replied, "Surprise."

Mojo's sneer deepened. "Those idiot creations of mine didn't do their job like they were supposed to." He ignored the rather offended look Bubbles wore on behalf of her counterpart and his brothers. "I suppose the phrase 'if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself' bears some merit. Apparently none of my creations can do anything right."

"Reflects on your abilities, doesn't it?" Blossom shot.

The primate ruler didn't respond to the redhead's dig. His eyes remained trained on them. "I suppose you three are the reason why my satellite didn't work?" He didn't wait for answer. "No matter. It's only a matter of recalibration on another computer. Within the week I will have all of humankind underneath my control, the regional lords dead, and the Rowdyruff Boys indisposed of."

The girls' eyes widened at Mojo's words. Buttercup spat out, "You're crazy."

"Genius and madness walk a fine line," Mojo lightly responded, not phased. "And sometimes it takes a little madness to truly exemplify to the world what true genius is."

"That's horrible!" Bubbles cried out. "You're going to destroy everything! That's not a world! It's a ghost of a world."

Mojo rolled his eyes. "Do you think I care? But don't worry. You three won't be around to worry about this so-called 'ghost of a world', I'll see to that. Time to say goodbye, girls."

"You couldn't get rid of us before," Buttercup snapped. "What makes you think you can get rid of us now?"

Mojo frowned. "And neither could you with me. It seems we've reached an impasse, but this long stalemate ends now. What makes you three think you can beat me? I've far more succeeded over you than you over me."

Truth be told, none of the girls had any real, solid reason that they could beat Mojo Jojo. He was right in that he had a better chance at becoming the victor in this fight. It was Bubbles, though, who came up with a prompt answer, "Because we're the Powerpuff Girls."

" _THE POWERPUFF GIRLS?_ " Buttercup hollered. "What the hell kind of name is that?"

Bubbles shrugged. "I liked the sound of it. It was the first thing that came to mind."

Buttercup shot her sister an incredulous look. "Can't you think of something better?!"

" _Enough!_ " barked Mojo. "I don't care what your name is! Powerpuff Girls, Whoopass Girls, or Girls' Generation – I don't care! You are going to die because I said so!"

Without warning, he fired the gun and ray of intense light and heat shot towards them. Blossom, who had been paying attention more to Mojo than the name that Bubbles had given them, pushed her sisters out of range. The girls tumbled across the floor.

"This jackass is off his rocker," Buttercup grumbled from underneath Blossom and Bubbles, who were piled on top of her. "Can we just kick his ass and be done with it? I'm so tired of his temper tantrums."

"For once, I agree with Buttercup," Bubbles added as she popped up.

" _ENOUGH TALKING!_ " Mojo screeched from his place and fired the gun again.

Again, the girls split up to avoid being hit. The fired manically, aiming this way and that way, scattering the girls as they attempted to avoid being hit by the heated blasts. Then, just as suddenly as he had started firing upon the girls, he had stopped. All three were confused when the assault ceased and they heard Mojo chuckling lowly underneath his breath.

"Foolish girls," he began, a wicked grin on his face. "Did you think that I would leave the fate of my kingdom to me blasting you down with my gun? No, I, Mojo Jojo, am smarter, superior, and better than that."

"What –" Buttercup started, but never finished as Mojo suddenly brought an unanticipated variable into the fight. The three girls gasped when Mojo brought out a syringe filled with a familiar, black liquid.

Bubbles gasped. "Chemical X!"

"Where'd you get that?!" her green-eyed sister hollered.

Blossom frowned and took off like a bullet towards Mojo, but the primate seemed to have anticipated that the girl was going to act in that way because he fired a well-aimed burst of heat into Blossom's abdomen. Though the hit was not fatal or in any way truly damaging, the blast was enough to knock Blossom away and the wind out of her.

"You girls have forced my hand," Mojo sneered. "You could've joined me and instead you chose this path! You girls have forced to me take extreme measures!"

"Stop him!" Blossom wheezed out as she tried to catch her breath.

Buttercup and Bubbles charged in Mojo's direction, but they were too late. By the time they reached the crazed primate, he had already injected the Chemical X into his bloodstream. The three girls watched, horrified, as Mojo's body began to rapidly change. As the Chemical X began to take effect, Mojo Jojo, the once pint-sized ruler of Earth, became enlarged. His large frame could not be held in by the ceiling of his office and crumbled from the pressure of his head and backside pressing into it.

In a matter of seconds, Mojo was three times his size, with enhanced powers and twice his normal strength. He spread his arms out to the darkened sky and cackled uproariously. "Bow down to me, Earth, your true ruler!"

"Not if we can help it!" the girls hollered in unison.

A rainbow of pink, green and blue shot off in Mojo's direction, but just as they reached him, he smacked them out of the air and into a ruined building. His eyes remained fixed on where they landed when he noticed a crowd gathering outside of his ruined palace. Below him, the regional lords stared, agape, at the imposing figure of their leader.

"My brothers, listen!" Mojo addressed them. "These three girls – the _Powerpuff Girls_ , as they call themselves – have come to return the Earth to humanity! They have come to make you – _us_ – their slaves again! They have come to put us behind cage bars and speak to us like we were the fools! Stop them, brethren, and crush this impudent thought!"

A terrifying, primal shriek was unleashed from the regional lords as the small army of monkeys ran towards the Powerpuff Girls. When the girls pushed the rubble off of them and moved out of the building, all they could see was a massive group heading for them.

Surprised, they were, when a deep, rumbling voice bellowed out, "DIE!"

"Move!" Blossom ordered. "Spread out!"

The girls spread out, barely escaping injury from the metal fists of Rocko Socko, their assailant. Separated and overwhelmed, the girls seemed overrun by the throng of Mojo's regional lords. From above them, Mojo watched as the regional lords and his chimpanzee guards swarmed the girls. He looked on, amused, as every primate the girls put down would bounce right back up and continue to fight like their lives depended on it.

His amusement ended, however, when three streaks – red, blue, and green – whizzed right past his face and into the masses. In a matter of seconds, with a burst of raw energy, what was once a small army of screeching monkeys had become a quiet, unconscious pile of defeated soldiers.

"How the hell," a distinctly masculine voice spoke up, "are you three suppose to beat the giant ass monkey over there if you can't even beat these wussies?"

Buttercup tossed an unconscious lord off of her. "I know that voice."

"Best know my voice. It's damn sexy."

She frowned. "Butch, you cocky ass."

Her counterpart grinned down at her. "But I'm right. You didn't exactly deny it."

"What are you doing?" Bubbles questioned as Boomer helped her to feet. "I don't understand."

The blue Rowdyruff gave her a weak smile. "Let's just say that all those talks you three had with us hit home recently. We're sorry about everything."

Boomer's words caused a smile to break out on Bubbles' face. She glanced over Buttercup, who was busy rolling her eyes at whatever Butch was telling her (it was remarkable, really, she noted, that the two were acting like there was never any deception between the two of them). She then glanced at her leader and immediately felt like she intruding on a private scene. She turned away.

Blossom and Brick were staring at each other. She was watching him warily, anxious, and he had no expression on his face. The world seemed to stop for a short moment as she tried to figure out what to say, what to do, and what to think. Questions buzzed around in her head. Was he still angry? Was he liable to hit her now just as he was previously? More importantly, why was he here? It didn't compute for her.

The spell was broken when Brick reached out, whipped away a smudge of blood on her cheek, and said quickly and quietly, "You were right."

Her eyes widened at his words. "Brick –"

He cut her off. "Doesn't mean things are okay with us just yet."

It broke her heart a little to know that he hadn't forgiven her, but the fact that he was here, not fighting her, was a step forward. It brought some level of relief to her. Her lips barely curved into a weak smile. "I understand."

"Anyway," he continued as nonchalantly as he could, "we're not here for you. We're just sick and tired of being Mojo's lackeys. We're doing this for us."

Blossom didn't care. She didn't care if it was for her, for the humans, for the planet, or for himself. The fact that he was here, understanding that the situation the planet was in was wrong, and was willing to stand up against the injustice, she was alright with his reasons. All of her conflicting emotions in the months leading up to this fight weren't in vain. She felt a little vindicated.

"Brick, I – _BRICK!_ "

"Boomer!"

"Butch!"

The girls watched, horror-struck, as the boys' faces twisted in pain before they started crumpling to the ground. Blossom immediately caught Brick in her arms and started calling out his name. Her sisters had done the same with their counterparts, unsure of what just happened.

"That was cute. I think I even shed a little bit of tear."

Blossom clenched her jaw in anger when Mojo spoke up. She looked up at him to see him pressing a button on his wrist and staring down mockingly at the Powerpuff Girls and Rowdyruff Boys. She growled, "You did this."

"Guilty," he replied rather cheerfully. "The boys have served their purpose. I have no need for them. Their time is done as, I stated previously, yours."

"Mojo!" Blossom yelled. "You horrible excuse of a creator!"

She shot off towards him in her anger, Bubbles and Buttercup following her, equally upset by Mojo's blasé words about his sons. He only laughed as he grabbed them, crushed them between his fingers (enjoying the sounds of their struggling and pain), before tossing them away from him, watching them crash through multiple buildings with a mild sense of satisfaction.

Mojo Jojo turned to his sons thereafter and raised a brow. He issued a muttered, "Pity," before clutching them in his hands. Powerless and fragile as a human, he tossed the beaten Rowdyruff Boys up into the air before swatting them down like they were flies.


	25. You Are 'It'

Mojo Jojo allowed a cruel smile to split his face as he watched the beaten Rowdyruff Boys, subdued by their power loss and subsequent beating from their creator, sail away from him. He contemplated going after them and stepping on the three weakened boys, but turned his attention on the regional lords, all of whom unconscious from their own beatings via the hands of the Powerpuff Girls or the Rowdyruff Boys.

Despite the fact that the girls were trying to do everything they could to save the Earth, all they had done was make Mojo's job easier. He had already planned on getting rid of all his so-called brethren and the boys on his own. The girls, though, made his job a little less messy. Yes, there was the issue of the satellite being dysfunctional, but that was a quick fix.

His eyes shifted down to the lopped off dome from what used to be his palace and Townsville Hall. As he reached down and grabbed the chunk of building, he said, "Now as I was saying before I was so _rudely_ interrupted. I, Mojo Jojo, have succeeded in my greatest and most brilliant ever, and I, _Mojo Jojo_ , shall finally rule supreme as the Earth's complete and absolute emperor!"

An immense satisfaction filled him at those words. Finally, _finally_ , he was reaching his goal of complete dominance and nothing at this point in time was going to stop him. If he succeeded the first time in capturing the Earth in his grasp, then he was going to succeed now.

"Not so fast, Mojo!" a tiny voice cried out. "Surrender now and we'll go easy on you!"

The giant ape blinked slowly as the voice registered in his ear, but was unable to find where it was coming from. He furrowed his brow as he glanced around and found no one.

" _Down here!_ " the voice shouted again.

Mojo glanced down below him and found three tiny specs staring up at him. As he leaned down to get a better look, he was amused to see the three girls – the _Powerpuff Girls_ , as they called themselves – frowning at him, ready for round two. He snickered and mockingly said when he was close enough, "Oh my. You're _actually_ trying to stop me? _That's so cute_."

"Try nothing!" Bubbles shouted him.

Blossom followed up with her own comment. "We _will_ stop you!"

"Who you callin' _cute_?!" Buttercup shouted, her eyebrow twitching both at the tone Mojo was using to make a mockery out of their very serious attempts.

He cackled uproariously, still extremely amused by what he saw. Fine, then. If they wanted to do this, then so be it. He could afford to bend his schedule a little bit for these three. "Okay! Let's play!"

He lifted a fist to punch down at the three of them, but they split up in a multicolored flash of pink, blue, and green. Before he had a chance to register where they went, he saw a brief flash of pink before his jaw was thrown back from a hard hit. In quick succession, his abdomen was hit by a flash of green and a heavy piece of metal collided with his face once more. It was at this moment that all amusement fell away from him when he realized that these three little girls were, in fact, truly attempting to stop his plan from succeeding.

He growled in anger and made a grab at the pink light streaking by, but was unable to grab at her. He then attempted to grab at the blue light, then the green one, and then the pink streak all over again. He grabbed and grabbed and grabbed at the lights circling around him, but was unable to catch anything. With each second and each light missed, his frustration grew.

Then, to make matters worse, as he focused on grabbing the blue light, the pink light blindsided him with a hit to his temple before he felt his behind rammed. He jumped up, surprised, and reached for his throbbing backside, only to hear laughter. He quickly whirled around to see Buttercup laughing hard, clutching her stomach, and realized it was she who had hit his bottom. Clenching his jaw in humiliation, he slammed a foot down on her.

" _Buttercup!_ " he heard her sisters shout in concern, and he turned around and smacked them into the nearest standing building.

He didn't care about them. He just wanted to crush this one below his foot for embarrassing him – _Mojo Jojo!_ – like that. As he buried his foot deeper into the group, he grinned sardonically. A fitting place for these girls to be: below his foot. Right where they (and the rest of the world) belonged.

His eyes flickered back to the building that housed Blossom and Bubbles, waiting warily for them to come back out and strike at him. And as he paid attention to the blonde and redhead, Buttercup wiggled her way out from under Mojo's foot and scowled at him. Feeling her own anger surge, one by one, she punched Mojo's long toes in.

Pain shot up Mojo's leg as he turned his attention to his crippled foot. In that split second that he turned his back on Blossom and Bubbles, the two girls streaked out of the building, twirling around each and their colors mixing in a flurry of pink and blue, and rammed themselves into the giant ape. The wind was knocked out of him from the impact and he went flying back into another building. Dazed and gasping for air, Mojo tried to collect himself, not seeing the building collapsing on top of him until it was too late.

From the air, the three girls stared at their downed enemy for a second before turning to each other. Blossom allowed only a small smile to split her face as she said to her sisters, "Good job, girls."

Buttercup wiped some sweat from her face and grinned, "Yeah, well, jackass deserved it."

Bubbles grinned at Buttercup's remark. As the blonde smiled, she failed to notice Mojo getting up from underneath the collapsed building until two hands whipped out and snatched her sisters from the air. All merriment ceased as she shrieked, "GIRLS!"

Now it was Mojo's turn to grin again while he tightened his grip on the two girls, suffocating and crushing them at the same time. Bubbles watched, in shock, as Blossom and Buttercup groaned and gasped for air before she snapped out of it and rushed towards them, a dark frown on her face. Nobody threatened her sisters like that.

With all that she had in her, Bubbles unleashed a barrage of power with her eye beams. As she fired on him, she could hear Mojo's hair sizzling from the heat of her power. Immediately, he released her sisters and yelled out in pain. Blossom and Buttercup, freed, instantaneously joined in on the attack using their eyebeams like their sister.

Mojo growled again in anger as he attempted to punch the girls out of the air, but, like before when he tried catching them, he failed to land a hit. It was at this point that all his frustration and annoyance with the fight peaked and he clapped his hands together, stopping their advance and sending the three girls away from him. As they flipped around and landed on their feet, he could hear Buttercup gaily say, in a singsong voice, " _Somebody's mad!_ "

Jumping into the air, he thrust himself closer to the three girls, stuck out his arms, and felt the hairs on his arms stiff before being launched at them in huge spikes. As they raced towards the three girls, he heard Blossom shout "LOOK OUT!" before they took off. His eyes immediately found the redhead and focused on her, the leader, hoping to take her out. If she was out of the fight, he figured, the faster her two sisters would go down. And down they needed to go, as far as he was concerned.

Blossom moved fast as she dodged every spike that was sent her way. When she noticed, out of her periphery, that her sisters were out of harm's way, she felt a wave of relief flow through her, but that relief was short lived when she noticed a human child, clutching a black and white dog that looked really familiar, right in the line of fire. Eyes growing wide in concern, the redheaded leader whirled around and began punching away at the spikes to keep the child from being hurt.

Bubbles, next to Buttercup, noticed Blossom and trouble and yanked on her emerald-eyed sister's arm. "Buttercup, Mojo's got Blossom pinned down! We have to help her!"

Buttercup frantically looked around at her surroundings, hoping to find something to help, and nearly smacked herself on the head when she realized the old and broken down bus they were hiding behind would be just the thing. Jumping to her feet, she said to Bubbles, "I have an idea. C'mon!"

She grabbed onto the bus and Bubbles, recognizing her sister's plan, did the same before the two darted off to Blossom and jammed it in front of them, blocking the spikes. Blossom's arms slumped down to her side when she recognized that the spikes were no longer coming for her. She breathed out a sigh of relief as she heard Bubbles gently tell the child, "Hurry! Run! Go!"

Without hesitation, the child took off further into the depths of the ruins of Townsville. The three were quiet when silence filled the atmosphere of the city. Whispering, Bubbles asked after a moment, "Do you think he's finished?"

"No!" came Mojo's booming voice a second later. "But you are!"

Without warning, a stream of fire and burning heat fell upon them. The girls screamed out in pain, clutching each other's hands tightly. Following what felt like an eternity, the fire stopped and they collapsed to the ground. The sheer pain from their heated limbs kept them limp, even when Mojo reached down and took them into his giant hand.

"Fools," he sneered, holding them up to his eye level, "you _dare_ to challenge _me_? Attempt to defeat _me_?" They could feel him moving now as he walked to the tallest standing building. "Try to destroy _me_?! I, who saved you from certain death?"

Listening to his words, the images of that night, so long ago, came back to them. They were young and new, wandering around the dark streets of a crime-filled Townsville, unable to fly and unable to find their way back home. They had felt scared, lost, and, more importantly, abandoned because they had waited for hours at Pokey Oaks Elementary for their creator to come pick them up, but never did. They remembered walking into that alley, hoping to find some shelter, but, instead, ran into trouble with these tall, green-skinned boys. Scared, petrified, they thought they were going to be hurt until that trashcan lid came out of nowhere and frightened the boys off.

Mojo. He had saved them from those boys, from the cold and rain, from their loneliness.

"After all I had done for you –" He climbed the building now.

He had made them feel like their powers and abilities were special. He had made them feel accepted. He had made them feel like there was nothing wrong with them. And after being ridiculed, hated, and ostracized by every single human being residing in Townsville, it was a blessing.

"– you betray _me_!" he shouted and pointed them in the direction of the city. From below, the enslaved humans peeked out from their hiding spots, listening to the confrontation. " _And why?_ For them? The ones who _hated_ you?"

 

* * *

 

" _I'm offended just looking at them!"_

" _The hatred is running rampant –"_

" _Those mutant, bug-eyed –"_

" _Freaks."_

" _They_ are _little freaks, aren't they?"_

 

* * *

 

The harsh words, the horrible sentiments and the rampant hatred that the girls had felt and heard in the days following their innocent game of tag were never forgotten. They had been so young and innocent back then. They hadn't known what they were doing was considered wrong back then. They hadn't known that being different might've meant being excluded or hated. They were simply having. And yet nobody had given them the benefit of the doubt. Nobody had taken the time to understand that they were new. They simply crucified these little children without a care in the world.

"Have _forsaken_ you?"

 

* * *

 

" _It's their fault!"_

" _I knew they were no good!"_

" _Professor, we didn't want this!"_

" _Liars!"_

" _Fibbers!"_

" _You've doomed us all!"_

" _Please, Professor, please believe us."_

" _I don't know who to believe. I thought you were good."_

 

* * *

 

He climbed higher now. "Can't you see? None of them will ever understand you as I can. For we are kindred spirits, whose powers spring from the same source."

It was true. Mojo was the only one who could ever understand them. They were the children of Chemical X, born because this one chemical flowed through their veins. The humans would never understand this. They never could accept this. But…

"So, girls, do not make me destroy you. For we are _smarter_ , we are _stronger_! We are invincible! We have the power! We are superior to them! _And we shall rule!_ " As he spoke, his words became louder and more erratic. There was a brief pause and then his voice softened. "All we have to do is work together. Girls, _join me_."

Mojo watched as the girls' eyes all opened at that moment and, for a second, he truly thought that they were going to accept his offer of friendship (a fake offer, no less, as he would've destroyed them the moment they were comfortable in his presence), but then their eyes began to glow and his hand started shaking, the building following shortly after.

" _NO!_ " they screamed as they burst out of his hand in a multitude of colors, and took off higher into the sky.

"We'd never join you, and it's because we are stronger!"

The three took off towards him and Blossom's fist slammed into his jaw.

 

* * *

 

" _Yes, but you not natural. You have unnatural power. Use it! Harness it! It will come, it will come!"_

_"If they're so much like us and they fight, why can't we?"_

 

* * *

 

"Because we are invincible!"

Bubbles gave Mojo a powerful uppercut to the underside of his jaw.

 

* * *

 

"… _because we're the only ones capable and strong enough to do so."_

" _You see, he still fears you."_

 

* * *

 

"Because we have the power!"

Buttercup slammed her fist into the left side of his jaw.

 

* * *

 

" _And go back to our pathetic lives of running? I don't think so!"_

" _We won't let you down."_

 

* * *

 

"We have to protect them from you!" they shouted in unison, circling fiercely around him and hitting him from every angle. His one free arm was waving madly around, trying to swat down their tiny forms once more.

"It's you who has to be feared!"

Blossom punched his jaw again.

 

* * *

 

" _I have seen many true evils and what their powerful hands can do first hand."_

 

* * *

 

"Because you are a monster!"

Bubbles kicked the top of his head, breaking apart the dome that was covering his large brain.

 

* * *

 

" _How many people have Mojo and his followers killed in their struggle to obtain power?"_

" _You refused to see it because of your own_ _comfort_ _!"_

" _I'm also sorry for hurting everyone, but…what can I do? There's nothing that I can do."_

 

* * *

 

"You are evil!"

Buttercup punched him in the mouth, shattering some of his teeth.

 

* * *

 

" _Those boys aren't evil, though."_

" _Their creator, yes, but not them."_

 

* * *

 

"And you are…"

They shouted in unison again, charging right for him. Mojo winced, waiting for the impact, knowing he could do nothing to stop it. They, however stopped right before him, stared at him for a moment, before reaching out together and tapping him on the nose.

"… _it_."

And just like that, Mojo toppled from the top of the building, screaming a phrase he hadn't shouted in a very long time. And then his long, dramatic shout of " _Curses!_ " was cut off when his large form collided with pavement, cracking the ground underneath him, before there was silence.


	26. The Day Is Saved

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter after this.  
> "Full of darkness and danger, they were. And sometimes you didn't want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it's only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer."
> 
> – Samwise Gamgee, "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers"
> 
> \---
> 
> 1\. Dare (だれ) "Who?" / "Who's there?"
> 
> 2\. Blossom da (ブロッサムだ) "It's Blossom."
> 
> 3\. Honto ni? Yokatta (本当に?よかった) "Really? Thank Goodness."
> 
> 4\. Tasukenakuchaikenai (助けなくちゃいけない) "We must help them!"/ "We have to help them!"

Silence. A long silence.

It was eerie how quiet the world seemed. It was almost like the planet knew that something amazing and terrible had happened all at once. Nobody, nothing, seemed to move, breathe, twitch, or think. The fearsome winds from all the movement and the fighting seemed to have stopped, and all that was left was a howling silence.

Bubbles shivered and suddenly she was reminded of when she last stood on that asteroid that they had called home for so long. But this was different. It wasn't the deafening silence of space, the screeching quiet that reminded her of the fact that she was an outcast, unwanted. No, no. This was vastly different. Instead of standing on a dusty rock with nothing but floating rubble and her sisters for company, she was floating in the air, defying gravity, and she had more than her sisters as companions. Instead of the endlessness of the inky blackness around her, it was the grays of the clouds. And the silence…it wasn't the silence of space. It was different.

Suddenly, as if someone flicked on a switch, movement and life resumed. The air began to move and a breeze played with the three floating girls' hair as Bubbles whispered to her sisters, "Is he…dead?"

Three words. Three words that broke the silence, the quiet. Little by little, humans crawled out of whatever hole they had been hiding in and crept forward. The atmosphere shifted from fear to cautiousness as they inched closer to their former master, who was lying on the cracked cement, rubble surrounding him, his cape shredded and ruined, and his helmet cracked, showing the pink mass that was both his curse and gift.

"No," Blossom murmured, "he's not."

From below them, they could see one brave human move forward, stick out a hand, and poke Mojo Jojo. The humans gasped when Mojo groaned, but then exchanged looks when he didn't get up and begin another rampage. As seconds passed, more humans came out until it seemed like the entire population of Townsville was surrounding the defeated dictator. But what really caught their attention was Professor Utonium fighting his way towards Mojo.

The girls exchanged glances, a little surprised to see their father-figure here (and so fast!), but watched as he appeared to check over the former ruler of the world. After a couple of minutes, John stood up and turned his gaze upward towards his daughters. Again, the girls looked at each other before Bubbles quietly said, "We should go down there. See what he wants."

"Nuh-huh!" Buttercup interjected. "No way. I'm staying here."

"She's right, though, Buttercup," Blossom responded, glancing at her tomboy sister, who was busy trying to hide her worries with her normal bravado. When Buttercup didn't appear to want to move from her spot in the air, the redhead grabbed on to her sister's hand and softly added, "The faster we get this over with, the better."

The green-eyed girl's shoulders slumped. "Do we have to? Can't we just, you know, run away?"

Then Bubbles zipped in front of her and stared at her in the eyes. "Do you want to be a runaway for the rest of your life? Do you want to live in hiding for forever?" She shook her head and grabbed Buttercup's other hand. "C'mon, Buttercup, we'll be in this together all the way."

"What if they take our powers?"

"Then that's what happens," Blossom replied. "We started this mess. It's time we own up to it too."

With that said, three melancholy girls gently glided back down to the earth below. The humans watched with wonder and trepidation as three sets of feet touched the ground. The girls watched the humans warily and the humans watched back with an equal emotion. The staring contest was broken when John boldly walked up to them and engulfed them in a hug. "Oh, girls, I'm so glad you're safe."

"Sorry for making you worry," Bubbles mumbled into his arms. She hugged him back as tightly as her powers would allow without hurting him.

The Utoniums stayed in their hug for a moment before John began speaking again, "Whatever happens, girls, I want you to know one thing: you are good, perfect little girls and I love you."

The last three words caused the Powerpuff Girls to stiffen for a moment. A beat passed, then two, before Bubbles suddenly burst out in tears and hugged her father all over again. As she sobbed into his embrace, she wailed out, "I love you too! I'm sorry! I'm so, so sorry for everything!"

Professor Utonium tenderly smoothed her hair as she cried and Buttercup, her voice quiet, asked, "Do you mean it?"

"Yes," he replied, "I mean it. And I'm sorry for doubting you. I should have never doubted your goodness."

That was all Buttercup, the rough, tough tomboy of the three, needed to hug him, burying her face in his shoulder so nobody would see the tears spilling down her cheeks. As he hugged his sugary blonde daughter and his dark-haired tomboy, he glanced at his last daughter, who stood there, staring at him. She glanced down at the floor as he softly said, "Blossom?"

Her body shook as she kept her pink eyes firmly on the broken cement. It felt like the quiet stretched on forever before she whispered, her voice breaking, "We just wanted to do good. That's all. We had made so many people angry and all we wanted was for people to love us." She looked up at him, tears brimming her eyes. "For you to love us."

Something finally broke in his seeing his stoic, redheaded daughter crying and he began to shed tears alongside the three of them. "Your insecurities were not your fault. They were mine. I failed you as a parent. I did – and _do_ – love you." He placed a hand on her cheek. "You did good, Blossom. You did very good."

She collapsed into his arms and cried with her sisters, finally letting go of the emotions she held in for over a decade. After a minute of crying, the three girls pulled away from him, their eyes red and weak smiles on their faces. Blossom released a shaky breath. "And we're really sorry."

Before John had a chance to tell her that he knew and understood, Buttercup said, "We messed up really bad."

"But," Bubbles added slowly, shifting her eyes to the two girls next to her, "we're ready, Professor."

Perplexed, John raised an eyebrow. "Ready?"

He watched as the three moved over towards Mojo and their actions did nothing to banish the surmounting confusion in him. They stared at Mojo and before glancing up at him. Blossom didn't look at him, rather she glanced to his lab coat pocket, knowing that was where the Antidote X syringes, for she was sure that he brought along the Antidote with him, were located, as she steadily said, "To take the Antidote X to get rid of our powers."

Bubbles choked back a sob. "If it weren't for them, none of this would've happened."

John's eyes widened at their words. He had known that they were feeling tremendous guilt for what had happened, but to take away what made them so special?! No! They couldn't!

"Besides," Buttercup added, her tone defeated and forlorn, "maybe everyone would like us better if we were just normal girls."

He opened his mouth to object, to say something to stop them as they reached down for the substance that would render them powerless, when someone from the crowd cried out, "No, wait! Stop!"

Then another voice. "Hold on a second!"

Then another. "STOP!"

"WAIT!"

"NO!"

The Utoniums jumped as more voices filled the air, the people surrounding them shaking their heads and disagree with their actions, but it was Ms. Keane and Ms. Bellum's voices that truly halted them in their tracks. They watched as the curvaceous redhead and petite teacher struggled their way through, shouting, "No, girls! Wait just a second!"

"You can't get rid of your powers!" Ms. Bellum cried when they finally reached the four of them.

Ms. Keane wasted no time in enveloping the girls in hugs. "Listen to her, _please_."

"Huh?" the girls said in unison.

Both women looked ready to add more explanations when an older voice spoke up, "Um, well, don't do that…'cause, uh, that was pretty cool with the…er…"

They watched as the crowd parted to reveal a little man that the six of them had not seen in a very long time. Ms. Bellum blinked slowly before saying, " _Mr. Mayor_? What're you doing here?!"

Ms. Keane nudged John and muttered underneath her breath, "Wouldn't the better question be where he has _been_ the last decade?"

The Professor only shrugged as Sara pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to contain her growing headache, before turning to the girls with a kind smile on her face. "Girls, I think what the Mayor – if we can even call him that anymore – is trying to say is that we're sorry and _thank you_."

Sandy glanced at them, a huge grin on her face. "Yes, thank you! That was super! Just super!"

Their words got the crowd going and people the girls had not seen in forever were suddenly shoving their way through to add in their own comments. People that had ridiculed them and called them names were suddenly showing their gratitude. People that they had never met or even seen before were also thanking them and complimenting them.

"Amazing!"

"Fantastic!"

"Wonderful!"

"Stupendous!"

"You rock!"

"Thank you."

The girls tried to look at everyone that was throwing compliments at them, but found that they couldn't keep up. Confusion, bitterness and relief overwhelmed them and they didn't know what to say or do in this situation. It was all too much for them.

Suddenly, the Mayor burst from his spot with enthusiasm. "YEAH! Oh, that was awesome! You were all flying, and runnin', and _laser eyes_!" He proceeded to make sound effects of their powers and starting running back and forth like a hyperactive child. "And then _bam_ , you punched that guy! Uh, remember?"

Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup stared at him blankly and nodded slowly when he turned his attention back on them. Beside them, they could see Sara slap her hand to her forehead and mutter underneath her breath, "He has not changed after all these years."

"Yeah," the Mayor said with a nod of his head, "that was great. You know, this town stinks –"

" _Understatement_ ," Buttercup coughed. Blossom nudged her in the side.

"– and I was wondering if we could, like, call you to, uh, save the day or whatever."

"Mayor!" hissed Ms. Bellum. "I don't think you have the power to even ask them that anymore!"

Had this been the same year that they had caused all this mess, they would've accepted this offer excitedly, but it wasn't their birth year and they weren't three days old anymore. Instead, Buttercup scowled at everyone and said, "Why should we help you?"

Blossom glared at her sister. " _Buttercup_!"

"You were just willing to take your powers away to fix this problem!" squealed Bubbles, pointing a finger at her. "Why the sudden change of heart?!"

"Because I think it's stupid that we have save these people when they didn't want to even _hear us out_ when we told them that we were tricked! And why?" Buttercup sneered. "All because we were different! Because we weren't the same as them! We weren't as big of morons as them! Don't you remember them calling us 'freaks'?!"

"Buttercup, enough!" Blossom yelled when she noticed people beginning to back away from them. The crowd froze at the volume of the redhead's shout. Realizing she had everyone's attention, Blossom calmly said, "Yes, they called us names. Yes, they didn't accept us. Yes, they ostracized us and imprisoned our father and creator because we were different. I remember that."

The civilians shrunk with each accusation that Blossom laid at their feet.

"But I also remember," she added, "that we terrified them with our powers. I also remember that we destroyed their homes and their schools. I also remember that because of our naïveté, we unleashed an army of primates on them and we did _nothing_ to stop it."

Now it was Bubbles and Buttercup's turn to shrink.

Blossom sighed heavily. "But how long are we going to go on pointing fingers at each other? How long are all of us – them and us – going to keep hatred in our hearts? If we don't forgive each other and come to understand each other –" she pointed at Mojo, "– then we're no better than him."

A blonde from the crowd suddenly stepped forward. "I'm sorry for calling you freaks."

The Powerpuff Girls examined her and realized that she was the news anchorwoman that had so cheerfully called them that name so long ago. Another woman, chubbier than the blonde, stepped forward, courageously looking at them, and said, "I'm also sorry for calling you 'mutants' and other names."

All around them, like when they were throwing compliments at the girls, people were suddenly chiming in with their sorrows and heartfelt remorse at what happened all those many years ago. When the noise died down, the Mayor quietly said, "Er, um, I'm sorry too."

The apologies from the civilians made, Blossom turned to her sisters – her eyes especially seeking out Buttercup. "Well?"

Bubbles placed a hand on Buttercup's shoulder and squeezed it gently. Sighing heavily, the green-clad 'puff choked out after a moment's hesitation, "I'm sorry too. We're all sorry."

The redheaded teenage girl smiled proudly at Buttercup before turning to everyone again. "Mr. Mayor, Ms. Bellum!" The two in question looked at her. "I believe that you have yourself a superhero team."

"Really?" Sara asked, surprised.

Blossom grinned, her sisters falling in beside her. "The Powerpuff Girls are ready for duty!"

Whistles, cheers, and crows of joy echoed across the ruins of Townsville. The girls grinned at each other before turning to their father, who was beaming with pride. Before the festivities could get any further, Bubbles whirled to her leader, "Blossom, what are going to do about the boys? They're probably hurt from having no powers anymore to heal themselves! And the other regional lords that didn't show up to Mojo's party? And Mojo himself?"

"You let us handle Mojo," the Professor answered, patting his pocket and a glare directed at his former lab pet. "We have a place where we can put him."

"As for the boys," Ms. Bellum said, who was eyeing a specific building, "you said they had no powers, right?" The girls nodded. "Then you can leave them to us as well. I think we can take into consideration that they helped you."

"You just worry about the remaining regional lords," Ms. Keane finished up with a curt nod of her head. "Take back our world, girls."

"'Our world'?" echoed Buttercup, raising an eyebrow.

The former teacher smiled softly. "Yes, Buttercup, _our_ world. As in yours, too. Welcome home, girls."

"Glad to be back!" Bubbles cheerfully responded.

Blossom laughed shortly at her sister's happiness before her face turned solemn again. "Well, then, I'd say it's time to clean house, girls, don't you?" Seeing their smirks, Blossom smirked as well. "Let's roll!"

As the three disappeared with a burst of pink, green, and blue energy, the two women turned to John, who smiled grimly and said, "Now, let's deal with Mojo and the boys."

 

* * *

 

Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching knew something was wrong.

He had felt something ominous for quite awhile, but hadn't acted on the feeling, thinking it was just paranoia. Perhaps, he had thought, he was overreacting (no such thing, though). However, it wasn't until he received an invitation to the gala at Mojo's all but demanding his presence did the feeling worsen. The other regional lords, he later found out, all received the same invitation. Again, call him paranoid, but something had told Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching not to attend this gala.

So, he didn't.

Despite his lack of attendance, the regional lord of China and Japan had a hard time shaking the ominous feeling. He had stayed in contact with two other regional lords, Hota Wata and Ojo Tango (both of whom had also decided it was in their best interests to not attend the gala), for a good while. That connection was seemingly severed over an hour ago. While Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching had tried to get a hold of his two comrades, neither of them was answering any form of contact he sent to them. In fact, no one – not even a servant – was answering.

That sent red flags up in Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching's mind and he immediately ordered his closest guard to retrieve his cymbals. While he didn't know what was happening, he was not going to be caught unawares, he decided.

Thus, there he sat on his throne, his cymbals clutched in his hands, and listening for any noise.

His palace was quiet – extremely quiet. While Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching prided himself on a rather quiet atmosphere (save for when he wanted to hear the screams and cries of his prisoners), his home was a little too quiet. He didn't dare get up or move. His paranoia was telling him that going outside his throne room and checking to see if anything was wrong was just a trap waiting to be sprung. Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching was not stupid. He would not fall to the tricks of whatever enemy was out there.

Then, he heard it. That unmistakable noise.

_A giggle._

It was light, airy, breezy, carefree. It was the giggle of a person ( _a girl_ ) whom saw true beauty in the world. It was the giggle of a person who loved laughter, who took joy from the overall process. It was not the giggle of any of his servants, slaves, or guards. None of them laughed ( _giggled_ ) like that. Too many of them suffered atrocities by his hand ( _as they should have_ ) to laugh ( _giggle!_ ) that… _bubbly_.

"Who's there?" he snapped into the darkness. The merry giggle broke the silence of his throne room in response. He grit his teeth in anger. "Answer me! I will not be disrespected like this!"

" _Somebody's mad!_ " a voice responded in sing-song fashion, its ( _her_ ) voice echoing across the hall.

He frowned. "Don't you dare mock me!"

" _Don't you dare mock me!_ " another voice imitated, this one rougher and less bubbly than its predecessor.

His frown deepened into a scowl. "Show yourselves now! I demand it!"

There was a beat of silence before the rougher voice asked, "Should we?"

"Mm, I don't know," replied the bubbly voice. "He's not very polite. Didn't even say 'please'."

This mockery, he decided, had gone on long enough. These… _females_ obviously had no respect for him, a regional lord! The most successful regional lord at that! He stood up, his knuckles white from clutching his cymbals tightly, and scanned the room for the offending perpetrators.

"Then we should teach him some manners," a third voice, this one smoother, more mature sounding, spoke up.

Before he had a chance to react to the voice, he felt himself lifted off the ground quickly and whirled around in the process. The hand that snatched him from the ground was now at his collar, squeezing the cloth so tightly it was choking him like his own personal noose. As he glanced down at whoever dared to touch him, he came face-to-face with a petite redheaded girl. That, however, wasn't what drew his attention. It was the startling pink eyes that were glaring fiercely at him that forced him to pause and think about whose grasp he was in.

When he finally snapped out of his stupefaction, he howled, "Unhand me, wench!"

"Not until you tell me where Miyuki is," she snapped.

He glared back at her. "I know nothing and even if I did, I would tell you nothing! Release me!"

She didn't do as he asked. If anything, she tightened her grip on his collar, restricting his air supply, but not disabling him from speaking. "I will ask again, _monkey_ : where is Miyuki? The girl that led a rebellion on your palace some many months ago? Where is she? I know you're holding her."

He spat in her direction, but she simply jerked her head away from the incoming saliva. "What makes you think, insolent whelp, that I will tell you _anything_ you want to know?" He grinned widely and lifted his cymbals to come down on her. "You will die before you have a chance to get any information!"

Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching cackled as he started to swing his cymbals down on her head, but stopped when he realized that his weapon was no longer in his hand. He looked up, puzzled, and was shocked at what he saw. Two girls, one brunette and one blonde, were floating in the air with his cymbals in their hands. They too were glaring down at him. It was then that he cracked.

" _RELEASE ME! RELEASE ME NOW, YOU DIRTY HUMANS!"_ he screeched, shaking and twisting his body in an attempt to free himself.

Blossom, frustrated with Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching's actions, tightened her grip on his collar, completely restricting his air flow. The primate stopped twisting in an escape attempt. Rather, his hands flew up to his throat and began twisting in an effort to get air. She barely flinched as she watched him choke. It wasn't until Bubbles calmly said, "Blossom, careful. He's still property of the Townsville Zoo."

At the words of her sister, the leader of the Powerpuff Girls lessened her hold on Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching and said, "You're right, Bubbles. Forgive me." Her eyes flickered to the cymbals. "Break those. I want to make sure he can't use them again."

Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching, gasping for air, watched in disbelief as the two girls in the air, underneath the order of the redheaded girl holding him, tore his metal cymbals in two – _with ease_. In fact, when they were done, the brunette simply dropped the ruined metal on to the ground and dusted her hands off while the blonde crumpled it down into a little ball and then began playing with it. His eyes widened before they shot back to the redhead. She was still glaring at him.

"Now," she continued on blithely as if she hadn't just been choking him nor her partners just rip metal like it was paper, "you will tell me where Miyuki is. Unless, of course, you want me to rip you up like your cymbals. It'd be easy to do it, too."

"Apes like you are even easier to tear than metal," the brunette tacked on calmly, though she allowed her lips to twitch upward. That twitch, in and of itself, was enough to scare Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching. It was the blonde's sweet giggle (which now sounded rather creepy to him) that was the straw that broke the camel's back.

"Basement level," he rasped out. "She's in the basement with the other prisoners. Furthest cell towards the back!"

There was silence for a brief moment and the regional lord of China and Japan, all but quivering in his fur now, was certain the redhead was going to kill him. After the moment passed, she nonchalantly tossed him over to the brunette as she said, "I'm going to go get Miyuki. Buttercup, Bubbles, you deal with him."

As the redhead began walking away, the brunette turned towards him with a rather scary gleam in her eye. As a smile formed on her face, the redhead, now near the door of the throne room, called out, "And remember, like Bubbles said, he's still Townsville Zoo property. So don't thrash him too badly."

As the girl walked out of the room, Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching glanced back at the brunette, who's grin only went bigger. As he stared at that smile, his eyes widened, for the first time, in fear.

 

* * *

 

When Blossom finally reached the basement level of the palace, she quickly charged her way through, intent on finding her friend. As she passed by the various cells, she could see so many humans in various states of distress – some were curled up in a ball, some were crying, some staring blankly out, some not even moving, and others dead. When several of the occupants noticed Blossom in the room, they eyed her warily, unsure if she was friend or foe. But she didn't – couldn't – stop for them and help them just yet; not until she found Miyuki.

Just as Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching told her, she went to the back cell where she found a dark-haired girl hanging limply from her shackles, pinning her to the wall. The girl was in a prison cell like the others and she didn't move. Reaching the bars of the girl's cell, Blossom placed her hands on them and whispered, "Miyuki?"

There was no movement from the girl and Blossom fearfully thought she had come too late. Then, just when the redhead was about to have a panic attack, there was a twitch from the girl and then a shaky voice asked, " _D-dare?_ "

" _Blossom da, Miyuki-chan_ ," Blossom replied back quickly, softly. "Just hang on. I'm going to get you out of here."

The girl could barely lift her head, but when her eyes met Blossom's, the leader of the Powerpuff Girls found herself staring into Miyuki's deep brown eyes. Miyuki cracked a weak smile. " _Honto ni? Yokatta_."

She sounded as weak as she looked and that made Blossom worry, but it also brought on a surge of anger towards Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching. What did that insane monkey do to Miyuki? What did he do to the other human inmates?

Without saying another word to Miyuki, Blossom whirled around and went for the other cells. One by one, she ripped up the metal bars and freed the inmates. The humans stared at her with wide eyes, disbelieving, when they realized what she was doing. As the stronger ones crawled out of their cells and began leaving their private hell, various languages – not just Japanese and Chinese – filled the air as they thanked their savior.

When the last cell was demolished, Blossom turned back to Miyuki's cell, ripped it open, and went directly for her. As she tore the shackles holding her friend, the Japanese girl murmured to Blossom, "What about the others? The ones unable to move? _Tasukenakuchaikenai!_ "

"We will," the pink-eyed teenager responded. She hefted Miyuki onto her back. "We'll help them. But I need to drop you off to your grandfather first, and my sisters and I need to drop Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching, Hota Wata, and Ojo Tango off to my father so he can give them Antidote X. Hang on, okay?"

Gripping Miyuki tightly so the girl wouldn't fall off her back, Blossom rapidly moved through the palace and caught up with her sisters, who were still in the throne room. Unlike when she left them, Bubbles had Ojo Tango and Hota Wata, the two regional lords they dispatched before coming to Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching, in her hands while Buttercup was holding an unconscious Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching underneath her arm.

"What'd you do to him?" she asked Buttercup as she eyed the unconscious lord.

Buttercup shrugged. "Nothing. Wimp passed out the moment I smiled at him."

"It _was_ a creepy smile, Buttercup," Bubbles commented lightly.

The green 'puff rolled her eyes. "Says the chick with the creepy giggle."

"It's not a creepy giggle!"

"Yes it is."

"Enough," Blossom interjected before an argument could break out. "You two get those three back to Townsville so Dad can give them the Antidote. I'm going to drop Miyuki off with her grandfather. Then we're going to make rounds and help whoever we can. There's a lot of prisoners downstairs that can't move without help."

Bubbles looked worried. "Will they be okay?"

"I don't know," Blossom confessed. "But we'll worry about that later."

The three sisters exchanged glances before Buttercup softly said, "C'mon, Bubbles. Let's get these losers out of here. Good luck, Blossom. Get Miyuki to safety."

Green and blue streaks ignited the dark night up as the two sisters took to the sky and headed west towards the United States. Blossom watched them for a moment before making sure that she had a good grip on Miyuki. "Okay, Miyuki-chan, let's get you home."

"Homes sounds good," the Japanese girl mumbled.


	27. To Solidify

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "End? No, the journey doesn't end here."  
> – Gandalf, "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King"
> 
> "So, picking up the pieces, now where to begin?  
> The hardest part of ending is starting again"  
> – Linkin Park, "Waiting for the End"

In the months that followed the defeat of Mojo Jojo, things began to drastically change. The immediate changes came in Townsville first, where the biggest damage had occurred when the takeover had taken place. With the assistance of the girls, the city was rebuilt relatively fast. Though there was still a level of construction going on in the city (the residents of Townsville claimed that rebuilding the city themselves marked their freedom and independence), Townsville Hall had been built first in order to get order reinstated amongst the chaos.

In terms of leadership, the Mayor was placed back in office as he was the last one to hold power prior to the takeover. Though there had been some who vocalized against the Mayor's reinstatement as they felt he was to blame for letting the takeover happen, the general public agreed that bringing back the Mayor would also bring back a level of stability to the already unstable environment.

Once Townsville Hall was up and running, the Mayor, Ms. Bellum, John, and the girls quickly decided that the police department, hospital, fire departments, and, oddly enough, the zoo needed to be up and running within the weeks of the Mayor returning to office. As soon as the buildings were built and former servicemen returned to work, the girls deposited Mojo into the prison and the normalized apes into the zoo.

When Townsville was up and running, though mentally scarred by the events that had transpired, the girls had endeavored to get the rest of the world up and running. It was not an easy process. First, reinstating the leaders of the world had been difficult as it became a matter of  _finding_ all the leaders. It became an even harder task when information was release that some leaders either refused to return to power or had died during Mojo's reign.

But reinstating leaders was simply the tip of the iceberg. Some countries were not able to peacefully place their leaders back into the government. Some had centuries of internal strife that had not been solved during Mojo's reign. And other countries that were able to place their leaders back in power decided to play the blame game with each other.

The United States took on a large amount of the blame as that's where Mojo originated from. Despite the U.S. government trying to ease the worries of their neighbors and allies, the fear of another apocalyptic attack kept peace from truly returning. The Powerpuff Girls had refused to get involved in the political tension until it became obvious that the world was on the brink of war. Only then did the girls get involved.

At a world summit at the rebuilt United Nations, there were so many raised voices that hardly anybody could hear each other speak. It wasn't until Buttercup managed to get everyone's attention (although Bubbles wouldn't say that unleashing a minor sonic boom was the appropriate attention-getting technique) that the world's politicians settled down enough to listen.

The room had been rather calm for a good thirty minutes before it escalated in noise again. Again, Buttercup applied her "attention-getting" technique, at which point Blossom drew together a compromise that the world's leaders could agree upon. When it became apparent that there were some politicians who didn't want to agree to the compromise, Blossom decided to play a card she seldom liked playing; she used her most threatening tone of voice.

After the political matters were settled as much as they could possibly be (after all, political situations and crises are never truly settled), the various countries turned inward to smooth out whatever immediate problems had sprung up. Issues such as money problems were harder to solve.

In terms of education, there was an eleven-year gap that needed to be resolved. In order to try and work out this problem, any teachers that could make a teachers summit all decided that an aptitude test would be the best possible way to figure out where students needed to be placed. Classroom environments would be odd for awhile, they knew, since most had varying ages in the classrooms, but the teachers also knew that once things were normalized once more, the ages would return to the way it used to be. It was only going to take time.

That seemed to be the motto for the entire world: " _it was going to take time_ ". No matter how much people wanted to rush the world back to the way it used to be, there was no going around that trying to play catch up was hard. Even simple problems seem to be difficult. The world – even things like weather and ecosystems – were scarred and damaged by Mojo's reign. It was not uncommon to see groups of people demoralized and wanting to return back to the way Mojo ran things for no other reason than it was more simple to deal with.

Despite the demoralization, the presence of the Powerpuff Girls and their aid to all the countries of the world – not just the United States – seemed to keep the world from plummeting into another Dark Ages. Blossom's brilliant mind aided in solving difficult problems, Buttercup's toughness and fierce determination inspired others to persevere, and Bubbles' optimism reminded many of the good times that were ahead if they kept at it. The girls had turned nineteen by the time the world started to resemble its former glory.

Now, as for the villains of Townsville, things proceeded as such:

Princess Morbucks, for all intents and purposes, was branded a traitor. Though her lawyer had tried to plead with the court that Princess Morbucks was only a minor during the takeover and therefore not responsible for her actions, the jury (and the people) found her guilty when she decided to act on her own – without the consent of her lawyer – and told the entire courthouse that she did what she did knowing the consequences and "didn't give a damn" about anyone else – only herself. On the grounds of aiding and sponsoring Mojo as well as other charges such as battery, assault, harassment, and mayhem, Princess Morbucks' assets were seized and she was sentenced to life in prison.

Unlike Princess Morbucks, Sedusa and Femme Fatale – Johanna and Andrea, respectively – were not branded traitors, but only for the simple fact that the two women had been criminals before Mojo had taken over the world. In a twisted logic, the humans believed that the two deranged women only acted as their moral compass – or lack of one – had commanded. However, that did not mean the two got off scotch free. Both were sentenced to long-term sentences in prison for the hunting and capturing of their fellow humans. There was no chance for parole, as far as the Townsville justice system was concerned.

The primates were all scanned by Professor Utonium to be certain that any traces of Chemical X were wiped out of their systems. When John gave the Townsville government the confirmation that the primates were normalized, they were placed back into the zoo. In order to ease the worries of other leaders, Townsville Hall reinforced the security around both the zoo and the animal cages.

Mojo Jojo's case had taken awhile. There had been threats of violence against the once leader of the world. Humans from all around the world wanted to brutally harm Mojo's person for all the strife he had caused them. There was all sorts of talk about what type of punishments to bestow upon the primate – from everything from medieval approaches to modern lethal punishments. As the proceedings went along, citizens of all nations became impatient and demanded immediate action against Mojo. It had become so bad, in fact, that Mojo's police guards were on high alert for assassination attempts came.

Finally, a compromised was released: Mojo Jojo would not be executed because he was to be completely stripped of all Chemical X in his system. To the humans, who never had Chemical X in them, this seemed like a tame and mild form of punishment. To the Powerpuff Girls, however, who understood that getting rid of Chemical X would be reducing Mojo back to a lab pet, knew the severity. And despite Bubbles' bleeding heart and sympathy, she did nothing to interfere with the punishment as Professor Utonium cautioned her that to do so would possibly result in massive riots.

Over a decade after obtaining his gift of intelligence, Mojo Jojo was no more. In his place was Jojo, a simple lab monkey.

The Rowdyruff Boys was another difficult case. Like Mojo, there were some who were hard-pressed in forgiving the boys for their actions. Surprisingly, it was Professor Utonium that had explained to the world that the boys didn't know any better – unlike the others before them – as they had been born in a world where they believed they were doing right. Should they be punished for not knowing any better, he had asked his global audience.

John's defense of the boys caused a rift to be created, with one side willing to forgive the boys (though not without proper punishment) and the other side unwilling to forgive or forget. Things changed again when Brick, who had been quiet and subdued the entire process, gave up all of Mojo's backup files and drives and whatever else he had created to the court without giving the reason as to why he had done so. More people had drifted to the side of punishing, but eventually forgiving the boys.

The boys were eventually sentenced to the Townsville Men's Correctional Facility when, after it seemed like the boys would lose their case, Professor Utonium again came to their defense. He told the court the three boys were powerless – as normal as any human and no longer a threat – and the reason for that was because the three of them risked their lives to save the Powerpuff Girls. Once more, he asked the court a difficult question: could they severely punish the boys that saved their beloved heroes? Could they severely punish three boys who had seen the errors of their way and tried to correct it?

The answer had been no. Thus, the sentencing. Created as another compromise to the world, the boys would serve a few years in prison, whereupon they could be released on good behavior and after they were evaluated. They would not, however, get their powers back. That was too risky for the humans. Needless to say, it was a light and forgiving sentence compared to a majority of their predecessors.

And so, after the last sentence had been carried out, the world decided to move on from Mojo's "Reign of Terror" and go about their lives as much as possible.

 

* * *

 

She stared at the patterns on the table and let her long, thin fingers trace over any shape she could make out. She had been sitting here for a good five minutes now, waiting for the officers to get her guest. She was waiting in the normal visitor's room, but nobody else was here. Just her. It made sense, though. With the city still so new and the scars from Mojo's reign still relatively fresh, Townsville Men's Correctional Facility had few inmates. Cynically, she knew that number would eventually grow.

As she turned her attention away from the patterns on the wooden table and focused her attention on her hands, someone sat down across from her. She felt her heart stop beating for a second and her stomach lurch at her guest's presence, but didn't look up just yet. Some measure of fear was nestled in her emotions, a level of shame keeping her from looking up. But she knew she had to look up, to face what her actions had a part of shaping.

Slowly, in a measured pace, she finally looked up at her guest. It had been a long time since she had last seen him. With the world trying to restore order and her participating in the overseeing of said order, she really hadn't had time to see him – or anyone else, for that matter.

"Brick," she said warily, testing out his name and his reception to her.

He didn't fly off the handle like she thought he would at her presence. Instead, all he did was steadily say, "Blossom."

An awkward silence befell the two of them. She studied him during this silence. The correctional facility seemed to have let him keep his hat because it was on top of his head, backward and hiding his messy red hair. His facial expression, she noticed, was just as stoic was it always was, but there wasn't any level of hostility underneath it like there typically was. He seemed… _settled_ , was the best word she could use. Not defeated and not happy, but settled. Like he expected himself to be here, but wasn't upset about it.

He finally broke the quiet. "Why are you here?"

"Because I wanted to see you," she replied before she had a chance to think up something to say.

"Why?"

She bit her bottom lip. "Whether you believe it or not, I really did become your friend and I really was concerned about how you were faring in here."

He didn't say anything to that like she thought he would've. One of his hands that was on the table simply clenched into a fist and he looked away. She kept watching him when they fell into yet another awkward silence. A minute passed before it was her turn to break the silence. "Did you really give up Mojo's backup hard drives and plans?"

"Yes," he answered.

"Why?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. It just felt like…"

Brick broke off his sentence, but Blossom heard loud and clear what he had meant to say. _It just felt like the right thing to do._

Mrs. Torres had been right when she had said that the boys weren't evil so long ago. The Rowdyruff Boys weren't evil. It had taken Blossom a little bit of time to get past the fear and her clouded judgment, but when she did, she had seen Brick in a different light. Then, she had pitied him. He hadn't known any better and when he attacked her after her identity was revealed, it was only because it was the only way he knew how.

She looked down at her hands and found herself wishing that things had been different. That she and Brick had met in a different situation, a better one. Maybe things would have been better between them, smoother. As she contemplated this, Brick said, "They're thinking about letting us out soon. You know…because of good behavior and all that."

Blossom looked up, shocked but pleasantly surprised. "Really?"

Brick wasn't looking at her. "They're not going to give our powers back – no matter how much Butch complains about it." He sighed heavily. "But I expected as much."

"What are the three of you going to do?"

It was Brick's turn to look at the patterns on the wood. "Butch wants to join the military."

Now Blossom was really surprised. "The military?"

He shrugged and snorted. "You know my brother; he likes a good fight. The military will enable him to continue fighting and brawling without anybody telling him otherwise. Better the military, though, than some sport or whatever. The military has orders and a hierarchy. He's used to that and won't go crazy from having no one there to check him."

She nodded slowly, taking in his words. "And Boomer?"

"I don't know," he replies with another shrug. "He mentioned something about traveling the world, seeing different sights. I don't think he knows what he wants to do. His occupation choices changes all the time. It's your sister's influence."

His words reminded her of something. With a small gasp of "oh!", Blossom reached into her purse and brought out an envelope. In Bubbles' curly cursive, the front of the envelope read Boomer's name. She slid it across to Brick. "That's for Boomer, from Bubbles."

Brick took the envelope and opened it. Blossom pursed her lips together. Although she knew it was considered rude to go through someone's mail, she was also intensely curious about what Bubbles had sent her counterpart.

The two blonde haired and blue-eyed young adults had kept up correspondence after the boys had been sent to prison, and Bubbles had a habit of sending Boomer an envelope. What was inside was anyone's guess as typically she mailed it to him. This time, though, she asked Blossom to deliver it personally since the redhead was heading to the prison.

So, she watched as curious as a cat as Brick opened it and out came a stack of pictures. Confused, the two redheads stared at the photos. But they were nothing special, from what they could see. They were simply photographs of average people doing average things. Even the small number of landscape pictures were nothing special, nothing breathtaking. And the oddest in the whole bunch was a small postcard with a picture of the world map on the front.

"I don't get it," Brick said stiffly as he stuffed the photos back into the envelope. "I don't understand them."

What the two leaders hadn't realized was that these pictures were more than just pictures. Back when Bubbles was simply "Amber" to Boomer, she had given him various descriptions of what the world, what mankind, was like before Mojo had destroyed it all. She had painted wonderful, terrible, beautiful, ugly pictures of the reality of humankind and Boomer had been curious about what this life was like. Since he spent a majority of his post-Mojo Jojo life locked up, he couldn't see the world was it was.

Thus, six months into Boomer's imprisonment, Bubbles sent her first envelope. Every chance she got, she took pictures of things she wanted to show him. Pictures of kids running to their dads, masters playing with their pets, people talking and interacting – all sorts of things. And she always included a postcard with it. The postcards were typically pictures of all the major cities of the world, showing him what humans could do, had the power to do.

This last postcard was a symbol, though, and one only Boomer would understand. She was telling Boomer that the world was his to explore. And explore he was going to do.

"And you?"

Brick glanced up from the envelope and stared at his counterpart, perplexed. "And me, what?"

"What are you going to do when you get out?" Blossom asked softly.

He looked back down at the item in his hand. He was quiet for a few moments before he shook his head slowly. "I don't know. I'll figure it out, I suppose."

Blossom wanted to tell him that she'd be willing to help him, but she wasn't sure if that was the right thing to say to him or if it was the right time. Though he was at least speaking to her again, she wasn't sure how well his deep hurt had healed, and she didn't want to endanger the fragile friendship they had.

After a beat of silence, he said, so quiet she might've missed it if it weren't for her super hearing, "But I'd like to seek you out."

And there it was. What Blossom had been seeking for – his forgiveness. This was the closest thing she was ever going to get to him telling her he forgave her for betraying him. His intention to seek her out, to bring her back into his life, meant so much to her. So, with a small smile, she murmured, "I'd like that."

Gradually, she reached across the table the placed her hand on top of his. She stayed like that for a second before she started to pull back, afraid she'd ruin what had just happened. But as she pulled back, Brick ensnared her fingers with his and cradled her hand in his. She didn't move or say anything until his hand gently squeezed hers. With a smile, she gently squeezed back.

_I forgive you._

_Thank you._

 

* * *

 

"The girls seemed to have settled in nicely."

John glanced up from the pasta he was boiling to the phone that was switched on to speaker. His lips turned upward ever so slightly and he said, "Yes, Sara, I believe they have."

"I'm just glad that the citizens all seem to accept the girls," Ms. Keane added.

The three were in a conference call and had been talking about important matters that needed to be discussed for the future of Townsville. The retirement of the Mayor and holding the elections for a new one had been the topic they had been on until Ms. Bellum brought up the girls.

"Yes, I am too," John agreed. He stirred the pasta noodles, making sure they weren't sticking to the walls of the pot. "But I am not as naïve as I once was."

"You're not going to trust them anymore, are you?" Ms. Bellum asked.

"No," he replied. "Humans are fickle. One moment, you're every man's hero. The next, you're their villain. And it could be for any reason, really. The reason doesn't need to matter for the people to turn their hero into their villain. My priority is the girls and their happiness and safety."

"Understandable," Ms. Keane commented. "You are a father first."

"Exactly." He paused and collected his thoughts. "Is it true the boys are going to be released?"

"Eventually, yes," answered Sara. "The exact date is unknown, but the boys have proven they are fit to be released. They're good boys. The correctional officers have nothing to complain about. They even seem to like the boys. Though, I don't agree with the fact they'll play gambling games with Butch. Wherever he gets the means to gamble, I'll never know."

John looked in the direction he knew Buttercup was at and cryptically said, "I think I have a pretty good idea."

He wouldn't have been surprised if Buttercup was catering to her counterpart (he's not surprised any of his girls are catering to their counterparts, despite the fatherly side of him disliking his pretty, young daughters receiving attentions from the opposite gender). Like Bubbles, who remained in contact with Boomer, Buttercup visited Butch as often as she could. She'd visit him whenever she was free and they'd play a round of poker or whatever card game they fancied at the time.

"Their friendship as certainly grown," hummed Ms. Keane. "It's good. An honest friendship is what Butch needs and someone to keep with her is what Buttercup needs."

"No doubt."

Ms. Bellum speaks up. "John, I'm concerned about a resurgence of criminals. Townsville wasn't exactly the haven of peace and innocence before the girls came along. It was filled with crime and criminals. What if that comes back? Moreover, what if someone tries to do what Mojo did? You know that there is always someone out there strong enough and willing enough to take up the torch."

John nodded, though he knew the two women couldn't see him. "I understand, Sara, but let's take this a step at a time. We can't get ahead of ourselves just yet."

"Besides," Ms. Keane added lightly, happily, "the Powerpuff Girls are always ready and willing to help."

John looked up towards the roof. "Yes, yes, they are." He was quiet only for a moment, before he said. "Now, about the new Powerpuff communication system I wanted to talk to you about. I was thinking that we…"

Ms. Bellum, Ms. Keane, and Professor Utonium continued to speak about the hope and future of their city, and would continue for as long as they were able.

 

* * *

 

The girls were laying on the rooftop of their home. Below them, they could hear their father working in the kitchen, talking with Ms. Bellum and Ms. Keane in a conference call about important matters pertaining to the city. The smell of spaghetti drifted out into the night sky and the girls' stomachs grumbled in anticipation of their evening meal.

When Buttercup's stomach growled the loudest, the three of them began giggling uncontrollably. As their laughter died down, Bubbles suddenly said, "Wow."

"What?" Blossom and Buttercup asked in unison.

The blonde smiled. "Nothing. Just admiring how different our lives are. Two years ago we were barely scrapping by on a floating rock and now look where we are. We're lying down on the roof of our home, staring up at the stars, and waiting for Dad to call us down for dinner."

Her two sisters considered her words, the weight of Bubbles' observation washing over them. However, that level of seriousness was wiped away when Buttercup's stomach growled loudly again and caused the other two to break out into laughter. The green-eyed girl rolled her eyes and said, "What! I'm hungry, okay?"

Bubbles propped herself up on one arm and faced Blossom and Buttercup. "Do you think this peace will last?"

"No."

Blossom's quick response threw the blonde off guard. Buttercup, on the other side of Blossom, snorted. "And you call _me_ a pessimist, Bubbles?"

The redhead shook her head. "I'm not being pessimistic. I'm just being realistic." She sat up. "You both can see it, I'm sure. We're being called out more and more lately to stop whoever decides to attempt to ruin the city. New villains are popping up all that time."

"That red fruit loop is the worst one," Buttercup grumbled, crossing her arms. "Who laughs like that! No, no – who _dresses_ like that!"

"'Red fruit loops' aside," Blossom continued, shaking her head at her sister, "we're in a vicious cycle. We can stop one villain, but someone stronger –" (" _Or more stupid_ ," Buttercup snidely added) "– will always come along to try their luck."

Bubbles laid flat on her back again, looking up at the stars sadly. "That's horrible."

Blossom nodded. "Yeah, but we'll always be there to make sure that they never succeed, that the world doesn't get taken over again. This is our home and we're going to protect it."

Her sister's words forced a smile on Bubbles' face. Even Buttercup had to grin at her leader's semi-inspirational words. Yes, the three of them had come far. Not only in that they were now living comfortably in Pokey Oaks suburbs, but in how their sense of responsibility had grown. Their powers had matured and an understanding that they could not run away from their problems had developed keenly in them.

So, yes, the Powerpuff Girls were in a vicious cycle, but their sense of responsibility, inability to run away, to face their problems head on, and a sense of duty, protection, and loyalty kept them from shying away from that vicious cycle.

From the distance, in the night sky, a bright pink heart was formed.

Seeing the Powerpuff Signal, Blossom stood up and turned to her sisters. As they stood up with her, the redhead smiled at them and said, "Let's roll!"

 

* * *

 

 

 

_Sugar, Spice, and Everything Nice._

_These were the ingredients chosen to create the perfect little girls. But Professor Utonium accidentally added another ingredient to the concoction – Chemical X._

_Thus, the_ _**Powerpuff Girls** _ _were born._

_Using their ultra super powers,_ _**Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup** _ _have dedicated their lives to fighting crime and the forces of evil._


End file.
